Exploring the master adaptive learning process in undergraduate medical students: a mixed methods study

To address medical uncertainties and promote independent clinical practice, we need physicians with adaptive expertise. This requires developing medical students into master adaptive learners (MALs) right from the beginning. This study focused on the “planning phase” of adaptive learning, aiming to explore the key skills, behaviors, and strategies employed by undergraduate MALs. The research employed a mixed-methods approach. Phase 1 utilized a survey (cut-off score: 112 on a 5-point Likert scale) to identify MALs among 550 undergraduate medical students. Twenty-one MALs (17.7%) were identified among 119 survey respondents, with highest proportion in the first year (28.6%). Phase 2 included in-depth interviews with 13 purposively selected MALs to explore their planning strategies. The qualitative analysis revealed six themes: learning approaches, study practices, gap identification, prioritization skills, resource identification strategies, and goal-oriented learning approaches. Our study identified multiple strategies used by undergraduate MALs for effective planning of learning. Leveraging valuable insights from the Asian undergraduate medical education, we encourage educators to facilitate study planning and institutions to redesign curricula to promote adaptive learning. Equipping learners with these strategies can develop competent and resilient medical doctors.