Abstract

Introduction:
Critical thinking is a recognized important aspect in the education of healthcare professionals, but it appears to be neglected in dental education. Due to the lack of comprehensive research on this subject at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, the present study was conducted to assess critical thinking skills and dispositions among dental students at this institution.
Materials & Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, all basic science and final-year dental students of Zahedan Dental School in 2024 (n = 214) were surveyed using a census sampling method. Data were collected via a standard critical thinking questionnaire administered both in person and online. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 24, employing independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients. A significance level of 0.05 was considered.
Results:
The mean age of students was 22.4 ± 3.2 years (range: 18–32 years). Of the participants. The overall mean critical thinking score was 9.05 ± 3.3 (range: 3–20). Based on the scoring categories, 93.9% of students demonstrated a low level of critical thinking. Although female students, final-year students, and those with a GPA above 17 showed slightly higher critical thinking scores, these differences were not statistically significant (P =0.11, P= 0.8, P= 0.2)..
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a notably low level of critical thinking among dental students at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, with no significant association with gender, academic year, or GPA. These results highlight an urgent need to revise educational strategies and place greater emphasis on teaching critical thinking and conceptual skills within the curriculum.