Introduction:

A long-standing discussion is still held nowadays concerning the degree of specificity of medical education with respect to general education. A series of educational assumptions have been postulated that confer distinctive characteristics to the teaching of the medical profession. In the field of teaching, such peculiarities are rooted in the very nature of medical knowledge and its practice.

Objective:

To expose the nature of medical knowledge and the specificities of teaching in the field.

Author's position:

The training of medical professors, with a philosophical perspective based on the critique of experience and epistemological approaches, is one of the critical areas that should receive attention. Knowledge of a metacognitive nature, in relation to the nature of medical knowledge and teaching in the field, should be part of both the knowledge of medical professors and students themselves.

Conclusions:

Clinical care of individual patients is an activity inherent to the medical profession. The diagnostic process is the cornerstone of clinical reasoning. Self-explanation, structured reflection and opportunities for clinical activity, are the foundations of efficient medical education.

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