Table 1_A qualitative thematic comparative analysis of independent and AI-supported clinical reflections among medical interns.docx

Although both approaches supported reflective learning, they facilitated distinct dimensions of the reflective process. Independent reflective writing was characterized by greater autonomous meaning-making, critical reflection, ethical reasoning, and systems-level thinking. In contrast, AI-supported reflection was characterized by greater emotional articulation, structured reflective dialogue, and future learning planning, but showed more limited exploration of contextual, ethical, and systems-level issues.

Participants’ comments embedded within the chatbot interactions suggested that some found the interaction supportive, while repetitive prompting and limited critical exploration emerged as limitations.</p>Conclusions<p>Independent reflective writing and AI-supported reflections represent complementary rather than interchangeable educational approaches. While independent reflective writing fosters deeper critical reflection, AI primarily functions as a reflective scaffold that supports emotional engagement and structures reflective learning.

Integrating AI-assisted reflections with independent writing and faculty-guided debriefing may optimize reflective learning in medical education.</p>