Towards the third generation of medical universities

Introduction: Critical thinking is an essential skill and the ultimate goal for medical education. This study aimed to compare the critical thinking skills among medical and paramedical students who studied at the Fasa University of Medical Science. Method: A cross- sectional analytical study was conducted on 231 medical and paramedical students in 2015. The subjects were selected using a randomized stratified method. The critical thinking of students was investigated using California B questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by SPSS v. 22.0. Results: The mean score of students' critical thinking was (2.3 ± 7.11). The results showed an overall weakness in utilizing critical thinking skills in Fasa medical students. Also, the overall mean scores of critical thinking skill and different aspects of the skill were compared across the two groups. A significant difference was found between the two groups. Conclusion: University education should address the critical thinking skills more. To achieve this, universities should train their students accordingly. Key words: Critical thinking, skill, education, medical, paramedical, students, Fasa University of Medical Science &nbsp