Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The 'Online Symptom-Based Learning (SBL)' method was developed to support the clinical decision-making processes of students in clinical years, using the Education Management System (EMS) integrated with Zoom. This research aimed to gather the opinions of students and faculty members about the 'Online SBL' method applied during the pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study involved 34 faculty members using Online SBL and 267 clinical year students from Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine. The researchers employed a convenience sampling method and selected volunteers for focus group interviews, including 28 clinical year students and 23 faculty members from different departments and clinical courses. RESULTS: Analysis revealed five main themes upon which the researchers agreed: educators' previous experiences in clinical reasoning, their experiences with SBL, students' experiences with SBL, the contributions of SBL to education, and suggestions for improving SBL. CONCLUSION: The primary findings indicated that SBL improved clinical reasoning skills, positively affected the educational climate during the pandemic, promoted student-centered thinking among educators, and facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration towards common learning objectives. However, challenges included anxiety associated with conducting SBL online, some educators' persistence in educator-oriented thinking, and difficulties in group assessments. The Online SBL method could be beneficial not only online but also in face-to-face undergraduate education across all health professions.