Concept maps (CM) are graphical tools that represent knowledge by relating concepts through propositions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the perception of medical students on the use of concept maps as an strategy of clinical reasoning teaching and learning.

Eighty-six students from second and third years of a medical school in a Northeastern state of Brazil went through an intervention to evaluate CM regarding the teaching of Liver Failure (LF). They were divided into two groups: the first, after a training on CM, solved a clinical problem using CM, and the second using open-ended answer. Then, after the training of both groups on CM, they attended a class on LF and solved another clinical problem using CM. They also evaluated the tool in its strengths and weaknesses.

Concept map used as gold-standard for a quantitative analysis of students' maps

Despite their big potential, CM are not used routinely on medical schools. Most of the participants had never tried CM before. Students themselves recognized the importance of CM being used throughout the medical graduation. More interventions like this are proposed in the future, affecting more students by this innovative methodology.

Concept maps are well accepted by undergraduate medical students and can be used to enrich their teaching-learning process.

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