The wisdom of entrustability: A critically conscious approach to practical wisdom
Heterogeneity in how practical wisdom is understood and applied in terms of associated virtues is uncovered and a need to examine the role of culture in mediating how virtues are conceptualised and how they are expressed and experienced by diverse groups of people is suggested.
Abstract
Derived from the Aristotelian observation of the human capacity to reason and act accordingly, practical wisdom has gained rapid traction in health professions education literature because of its ability to bridge the problem of a knowledge – action divide associated with the realities of clinical practice. 1 Through coordination of the right character trait expression practiced in real time, practical wisdom offers an attractive framework for operationalising clinical judgement. 2 As practical wisdom supports righteous decision making in ethically complex, context-specific situations, a strong case can be made for its explicit curricular integration in clinical training and active cultivation by medical students and trainees as part of professional development. 1,2 In their latest paper, Kaldjian and colleagues consider how to make practical wisdom a ‘ meaningful and teachable concept in medicine ’ , focusing on clarifying the dimensions of practical wisdom as perceived by physicians and medical students. 3 In doing so, they uncover heterogeneity in how practical wisdom is understood and applied in terms of associated virtues, noting that practical wisdom is ‘ developed through cultivating other virtues ’ that mirror the traits empirically associated with professional judgement and good medical practice. 3 However, mindful of the global trend towards inclusivity and decolonisation in health professions education, these findings suggest a need to examine the role of culture in mediating how virtues are conceptualised and a deeper understanding of how they are expressed and experienced by diverse groups of people.