Encouraging reflection among medical undergraduate and postgraduate students for advancement of learning and development of skills

The field of medical education is quite complex and there are lots of unsaid expectations of a medical student to eventually transform into a competent medical professional. An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine and a total of 13 articles were selected based on the suitability with the current review objectives. Apart from the various teaching–learning methods adopted by the teachers in the delivery of information, it is a must that in order to accomplish deep learning, we have to encourage medical students to reflect upon all the learning and clinical interactions. As a matter of fact, most of the regulatory and professional bodies have strongly advocated for the inclusion of reflection in different phases of both undergraduation and postgraduation medical education. In conclusion, the strategy of reflection should be looked upon as a method for advancement in knowledge, shaping the learning in the future, and to improve the competence level to deal with complex and emotionally or ethically challenging situations. It is the need of the hour that all the medical institutions should develop a detailed plan to encourage students to reflect upon and improve their learning.