Reflective learning and reflective practice: foundational education theories and applications in surgery

Reflection, as an essential component of reflective learning and reflective practice, is regarded as a valuable tool in various medical settings. It is crucial for surgeons, both in the context of training and specialist practice, to ponder on their experiences, exploring with rigour the complexities of their actions, assess their performance, and identify areas for improvement. These features make reflection also important for life-long learning and maintenance of certification to assure competency. Practitioners often need appropriate education on reflection; however, reflection is still understudied and underutilized in surgery, and implementation of reflection as a learning strategy is still limited.