Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of mind-mapping technique in the teaching of neonatal diseases for eight-year program undergraduates. Methods From August 2021 to June 2022, a total of 53 eight-year program undergraduates enrolled in 2018 from Peking University Health Science Center were randomly divided into an experimental cohort and a control cohort. The experimental cohort (n=26) were taught with the mind-mapping technique, whereas the control cohort (n=27) were taught with traditional methods. All students of the two cohorts received theoretical exams and clinical thinking exams at the end of training and three months after training, and received interviews and questionnaire survey.The differences between the two groups were compared by t-test and U-test. Results In the exams at the end of training and three months after training, the scores of clinical thinking of the experimental cohort and the control cohort were (9.03±0.54) vs. (8.73±0.41) and (8.75±0.57) vs. (8.43±0.45), with statistical significance (both P<0.05); the scores of theoretical exams of the experimental cohort and the control cohort were (86.38±12.84) vs. (84.81±5.87) and (76.76±8.95) vs. (74.22±8.91), without statistical significance (both P>0.05). Compared to the students of control cohort, the students in experimental cohort were significantly more satisfied in the terms of enhancing knowledge retention and improving learning efficiency, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05). Conclusions Mind-mapping technique is a simple and effective method in the teaching of neonatal diseases, which can improve the short-term and long-term clinical thinking ability of students and obtain good course satisfaction.

Key words: Neonatal, Disease teaching, Mind-mapping, Eight-year program, Students, Medical