Improving Health Care through Medical Education ®

Clinical Reasoning:
Coaching the Struggling
Medical Learner

Clinical Reasoning, authored by Dr. Andrew Parsons and Dr. Karen Warburton, offers a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to supporting medical learners who struggle with clinical reasoning. Drawing on their extensive experience in remediation and faculty development, Parsons and Warburton present practical tools and strategies designed to help educators identify challenges early, implement effective coaching methods, and foster long-term success for learners across the medical education continuum. This book serves as a vital resource for educators dedicated to advancing the teaching, assessment, and remediation of clinical reasoning in diverse clinical training environments.

466 Pages

August 15th, 2025

979-8218701697

"This evidence-based, practical guide to coaching learners struggling with clinical reasoning is a valuable resource that promotes holistic, supportive, growth-oriented strategies to engage learners in their own improvement. Using theories and frameworks from the literature applied to specific case examples, the authors offer actionable approaches to creating and implementing comprehensive remediation plans.”

- Karen Hauer, MD, PhD, Vice Dean for Education and Professor of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

"Drs. Warburton and Parsons powerfully frame the issue — "struggle is not only normal but inevitable in a system designed to challenge learners to meet high standards” — and equip teachers with the tools and inspiration to help every learner master our most essential skill: thinking."

- Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine, VA Medicine Home and University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

"Andrew Parsons, MD, MPH and Karen Warburton, MD have crafted a thoughtful and incredibly practical guide in Clinical Reasoning: Coaching the Struggling Medical Learner. This book dives below the surface of clinical performance to explore the full complexity of learner development. What sets this book apart is its emphasis on diagnosing the whole learner—not just their clinical reasoning skills, but the broader context in which those skills are applied and sometimes falter..."

- Gary Beck Dallaghan, Assistant Dean for Accreditation, Carle Illinois College of Medicine

"This is a much-needed addition to the remediation literature. Clinical reasoning is one of the most challenging areas of remediation and a structured and thorough approach to it is critical to ensuring we have the ability to train and retain qualified health professionals. This book is an essential tool for all educators involved in training and supporting learners in the essential skill of clinical reasoning."

- Eva Aagaard, MD, Vice Chancellor and Senior Associate Dean for Education, Carol B and Jerome T Professor of Medical Education, Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine

About the Author

Andrew S. Parsons, MD, MPH

Parsons is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine where he serves as the Associate Dean for Clinical Competency. He is also the Director of Research and Academic Advancement for the Division of Hospital Medicine.

Karen M. Warburton, MD

Warburton is a professor of medicine at the University of Viriginia School of Medicine where she serves as Associate Designated Institutional Official for Trainee Advancement and Director of the Clinician Wellness Program. 

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