Depth of information processing and memory for medical facts

Abstract

The current emphasis in medical education is to engage learners in deep processing of information; the aim is to achieve a better understanding of the subject-matter. Traditional approaches were more superficial and aimed for memorization of medical facts. However, a good memory for medical facts is still essential in clinical practice. This study demonstrates that deep information processing in itself enhances the memory recall of medical facts significantly. Teachers and learners employing deep processing to gain understanding are not achieving this at the expense of memory for medical facts.