Objective To analyze changes in enrollment and the home-province minimum admission rank percentage of three-year clinical medicine programs in Chinese higher vocational colleges from 2020 to 2024, as well as the association between these two measures, and to inform enrollment planning and monitoring of incoming student characteristics. Methods A questionnaire survey and document analysis were conducted among higher vocational colleges nationwide that offered three-year clinical medicine programs (program code 520101K) as of 2024. Enrollment data from 2020 to 2024 and the minimum admission ranks for the regular junior college admission batch in the colleges′ home provinces for students admitted between 2022 and 2024 were collected. The home-province minimum admission rank percentage was calculated. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used. Results A total of 99 colleges participated in the survey, of which 87 had complete home-province minimum admission rank data. Total enrollment in the 99 colleges decreased from 41 557 to 35 371. Among the 87 colleges, the median home-province minimum admission rank percentage decreased from 75.1% in 2022 to 71.5% in 2024, with a decrease observed in 65 colleges (74.7%). The Spearman correlation coefficient between the enrollment change rate and the change in the home-province minimum admission rank percentage was 0.267 (P=0.012). Among the 23 provincial-level administrative regions, total enrollment decreased in 13, remained unchanged in 2, and increased in 8. Conclusions Enrollment in three-year clinical medicine programs decreased overall, while minimum admission ranks generally shifted forward. Enrollment changes were weakly associated with changes in the home-province minimum admission rank percentage, and a reduction in enrollment did not necessarily coincide with a forward shift in the minimum admission rank. Enrollment adjustments varied across provinces. Enrollment plans should be appropriately adjusted according to primary healthcare workforce needs, institutional educational capacity, and incoming student characteristics.

Medical young faculty are a vital force in strengthening medical talent development and ensuring the quality of medical education. This study focuses on medical young faculty at Peking University, and outlines the construction and practice of a cultivation system for their teaching and educational capabilities since 2012, including the framework design, practical pathways, and outcomes achieved. Results show that this cultivation system has effectively advanced the development of medical young faculty. First, merit systems and incentive mechanisms have been strengthened, stimulating the enthusiasm of young faculty for education. Second, a full-cycle training program and a multi-tiered project cluster have been designed to enhance the teaching and educational capabilities of young faculty. Third, a culture that values teaching and teaching research has been fostered, promoting faculty development and collective growth. This study provides a practical model for building cultivation systems to develop the educational and teaching abilities of young medical educators and offers valuable reference for medical faculty development across institutions nationwide.

Objective To investigate the willingness in, output from, and barriers of educational research among standardized residency training (SRT) faculty in Guangdong Province, and to inform further faculty development strategies. Methods Using a convenience sampling method, 494 faculty members from 13 SRT bases in Guangdong Province were surveyed via a self-designed questionnaire in February 2025. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, with hierarchical cluster analysis. Results Although 74.3%(367/494) of the faculty expressed willingness to engage in educational research, only 45.7% (226/494) had actual involvement, and merely 8.9% (44/494) had published education-related papers in peer-reviewed journals. The barriers were clustered into three dimensions: insufficient time allocation, inadequate support systems (limited information channels, insufficient platforms, and funding), and lack of professional collaboration (absence of teams and training). The three most pressing needs were specialized training for educational research projects [396 (80.2%)], assistance with data statistics [349 (70.6%)], and support for research outcome translation [208 (42.1%)]. Conclusions Despite high willingness, the actual output of educational research among SRT faculty in Guangdong Province remains low, reflecting systemic deficiencies across multiple dimensions of institutional arrangements. The alignment between identified needs and barriers suggests that addressing this challenge requires building a multi-level support system at the institutional level, encompassing capacity building, information support, team collaboration, and protected time.

Objective During public health emergencies, resident physicians face enormous physical and mental challenges. This study aims to systematically analyze the changes in work adaptation characteristics and learning needs of resident physicians during the transitional period of emergency response, so as to provide empirical evidence for building a support system that promotes their mental health and enhances their emergency response capacity. Methods Taking the adjustment of COVID-19 prevention and control policies in December 2022 as a starting point, an questionnaire survey was conducted to retrospectively collect data on the work adaptation and learning needs of resident physicians at two time points: the early stage (strict prevention and control period, December 2019-November 2022) and the transition period (policy adjustment period, December 2022). Using snowball sampling, a total of 213 valid responses were collected from 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression. Results The proportion of resident physicians who reported ″adjustable psychological stress″ increased significantly during the transition period compared with the early stage [67.1% (143/213) vs. 46.9% (100/213), P<0.001], but depressive tendency did not show a concomitant increase. Gender difference analysis revealed that during the transition period, the detection rate of depressive tendency was significantly higher in male than in female resident physicians [33.3% (30/90) vs. 17.1% (21/123), P=0.006]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that male gender (OR=2.585, 95%CI: 1.099-6.084, P=0.030), longer working hours (11-12 h/d: OR=4.594, P=0.033;13-14 h/d: OR=4.359, P=0.034; >14 h/d: OR=4.952, P=0.033), and insufficient research time (OR=3.479,95%CI:1.477-8.192, P=0.004) were independent risk factors for depressive tendency, whereas having a mentor′s guidance (OR=0.326, 95%CI:0.123-0.865,P=0.024) was an independent protective factor for the postgraduate/postdoctoral cohort. Conclusions During the transition period of public health emergency response, resident physicians universally experienced a sharp increase in stress, yet the risk of depression was higher in males than in females. Male physicians, those with extremely long working hours, and those with low research time input are associated with higher risk for depression, while mentor guidance can significantly buffer psychological risk. It is recommended that mentor-guided strategies be incorporated into the standardized residency management system to enhance the psychological resilience of resident physicians in emergencies.

Objective To analyze factors influencing the mental health of residents undergoing standardized residency training based on the Biopsychosocial (BPS) model, and inform subsequent targeted psychological interventions. Methods From February to March 2024, a stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 327 residents from two standardized training bases in Wenzhou for a questionnaire survey. A self-designed ″General Information and BPS-Related Factors Questionnaire for Standardized Training Residents″ was administered based on the BPS model, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to assess depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Chi-square tests and multivariate binary logistic regression were employed to examine the associations of biological, psychological, and social factors with mental health. Results The detection rates of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms among the residents were 29.2% (95/325), 28.9% (94/325), and 15.1% (49/325), respectively. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed: (1) In terms of biological factors, residents with regular sleep patterns were 0.253 times as likely to report depressive symptoms (95%CI: 0.136-0.469) and 0.337 times as likely to report anxiety symptoms (95%CI: 0.183-0.621) as those with irregular patterns (all P<0.05); those with regular dietary habits were 0.223 times as likely to report stress symptoms as those with irregular habits (95%CI: 0.102-0.491), P<0.05. (2) In terms of psychological factors, residents with high professional identity were 0.277 times (95%CI: 0.155-0.496), 0.307 times (95%CI: 0.170-0.554), and 0.108 times (95%CI: 0.043-0.268) as likely to report depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively, as those with moderate identity (all P<0.05); those with career development confusion were 1.874 times (95%CI: 1.062-3.306), 2.827 times (95%CI: 1.555-5.139), and 2.327 times (95%CI: 1.111-4.877) as likely to report the three types of symptoms, respectively, as those without such confusion (all P<0.05); those with high training load were 2.055 times (95%CI: 1.072-3.938) and 2.369 times (95%CI: 1.054-5.325) as likely to report anxiety and stress symptoms, respectively, as those with moderate load (all P<0.05). (3) In terms of social factors, residents with good interpersonal relationships were 0.385 times (95%CI: 0.214-0.691), 0.443 times (95%CI: 0.247-0.792), and 0.404 times (95%CI: 0.196-0.832) as likely to report depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively, as those with moderate relationships (all P<0.05); second-year residents were 0.406 times as likely to report depressive symptoms as first-year residents (95%CI: 0.194-0.853, P=0.003). Conclusions The mental health of residents is associated with biological, psychological, and social factors. High professional identity and good interpersonal relationships were associated with lower detection rates of all three types of symptoms, serving as core protective factors. Regular sleep was mainly associated with lower detection rates of depression and anxiety, while a regular diet was mainly associated with lower detection rates of stress, demonstrating a symptom-specific association pattern. It is recommended to develop a stratified intervention system focusing on ensuring regular routines, cultivating professional identity, and optimizing interpersonal ecology.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of a teaching approach combining role-playing with the situation-background-assessment-recommendation(SBAR) communication model in developing patient-physician communication skills among neurosurgery residents undergoing standardized residency training. Methods A total of 100 residents undergoing neurosurgery residency training at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from September 2023 to August 2025 were enrolled in the study by random sampling. Using a random number table, they were evenly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 50 participants in each group. Using admission communication training for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage as an example, residents in the experimental group received training using a role-playing approach combined with the SBAR communication model, while those in the control group received training using traditional teaching methods. Both groups were assessed before and after the training using a physician-patient communication skills evaluation scale. After training, both groups completed a teaching satisfaction questionnaire, and patients and their families were surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the physicians in both groups. Data analysis was performed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Results Following training, differences in scores between the experimental group and the control group on the two dimensions of ″information provision″ and ″patient understanding″ were both statistically significant[(3.62±0.57)vs. (3.32±0.74), (3.46±0.61) vs. (3.18±0.72), all P<0.05]. The results of the teaching satisfaction questionnaire showed that the experimental group rated their satisfaction with the supervising instructors, as well as their confidence in developing clinical reasoning and doctor-patient communication skills, higher than the control group [94.0% (47/50) vs.72.0% (36/50), 94.0% (47/50) vs. 72.0% (36/50), 94.0% (47/50) vs. 70.0% (35/50), all P<0.05]; results from the patient and family satisfaction questionnaire indicated that patients and their families placed greater trust in physicians in the experimental group [88.0% (44/50) vs. 56.0% (28/50) , P<0.05]. Additionally,patient and family satisfaction with physicians in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group in three aspects:clarity of the physician's explanation of the condition, provision of treatment plans along with an explanation of their pros and cons, and the respect shown by the physician [88.0% (44/50) vs. 66.0% (33/50), 88.0% (44/50) vs. 58.0% (29/50), 86.0% (43/50) vs.60.0% (30/50); all P<0.05]. Conclusions Role-playing combined with the SBAR communication model training helps improve resident trainees' physician-patient communication skills and enhances both the trainees' satisfaction with the training and the satisfaction of patients and their families.

Objective In response to the varying quality of teaching rounds and the varying teaching abilities of instructors, this project introduced the concept of Simulation-Based Mastery Learning (SBML) and developed a systematic faculty training program for teaching rounds in the standardized residency training in anesthesiology. Methods Sixteen faculty instructors from the departments of anesthesiology of eight tertiary hospitals in Beijing who attended the standardized residency teaching round training course held by the department of anesthesiology, Peking University People′s Hospital on September 27, 2025, enrolled in the study. Lectures and practice sessions were delivered throughout the training. The participants′ mastery of knowledge concerning anesthesiology teaching rounds was evaluated before and after the training, and a satisfaction survey on the training program was carried out. Paired-samples t-test was adopted for statistical analysis. Results All 16 participants were included in the statistical analysis. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in participants′ mastery of relevant knowledge after training (Average score of comprehensive ability, pre-training vs. post-training: 6.2 ± 1.1 vs. 8.9 ± 0.8, P=0.030). The satisfaction survey showed that all 16 participants were satisfied with the training. When asked about the most rewarding gains from the program, 15 participants selected ″broadening teaching thinking″ as their top takeaway. The score improvement of scientific research ability was the lowest, only observed in two subjects. Conclusions This faculty training program was well recognized by all participants and effectively improved their knowledge regarding resident teaching rounds. However, participants showed limited progress in enhancing research capabilities, which deserves close attention in future training. Subsequent training curricula can integrate research and teaching modules to continuously optimize the quality of faculty training.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being gradually integrated into general practice education, providing new opportunities for innovation in teaching models and reform of talent training. Relevant studies from both domestic and international sources were systematically reviewed, and the current status of AI applications in general practice education was summarized, including the use of AI-enabled teaching tools and educational practices across different training pathways. In addition, several challenges in the integration of AI into general practice education were identified, including potential weakening of learners′ critical thinking abilities, insufficient standards and regulations, and risks related to data privacy and ethics. To address these issues, a stratified and progressive AI competency training system was proposed, along with improved teaching standards and multidimensional assessment systems, as well as strengthened education on data security and AI ethics, with the aim of informing the high-quality development of general practice education in China.

Objective To explore the construction of a clinical clerkship management system based on digital and intelligent technologies and its effect on promoting the cultivation quality of medical students by ensuring clerkship quality and enhancing management efficiency. Methods A clinical clerkship management system was independently developed that integrates rotation management, attendance statistics, task tracking, teaching interaction, assessment and evaluation, and growth profiling functions. A total of 62 students from clinical medicine majors (″5+3″ integration) of the 2020 grade at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University enrolled in the study to carry out systematic applications during their clerkship. The effectiveness of the system application was evaluated through exam scores, questionnaire surveys, and qualitative interviews. Results All 62 students completed their clinical clerkship as planned and passed the school assessment, with 58 students (93.5%) achieving a total score of 85 or above. The overall satisfaction rate of students with the system is 91.9% (57/62), and the average satisfaction rate with various functions is 92.8%. All 16 clerkship managers who participated in the questionnaire all believe that overall work efficiency and management ability have improved, while 14 of them believe that management costs (time, manpower, energy) have decreased by more than half overall. The 10 interviewed teaching staff all believe that the system has achieved refined management of practical teaching, which is beneficial for teaching evaluation and has promoted the improvement of teaching level. Conclusions The clinical clerkship management system empowered by digital intelligence has effectively enhanced management efficiency, helped ensure the quality of clerkship, and promoted the improvement of teachers′ teaching level and students′ training quality.

Objective Guided by the demand for high-level professional talents in rehabilitation engineering, this study explores the objective constituent elements of postgraduates majoring in rehabilitation science and technology (rehabilitation engineering track) from the perspectives of interdisciplinary integration and industry-education collaboration. Methods This qualitative research adopts the semi-structured in-depth interview method combined with grounded theory. An interview outline was developed based on the interdisciplinary characteristics of rehabilitation engineering, integrating medicine and engineering as well as the integration of industry and education. From June to October 2024, a total of 21 interviewees from 7 universities and 3 technology enterprises engaged in rehabilitation engineering across the country were recruited for semi-structured interviews, yielding valid interview transcripts with a total word count of 59 500. NVivo 20.0 qualitative analysis software was utilized to deconstruct, encode, extract, and cluster the raw data in strict accordance with the three-level coding paradigm of grounded theory. A total of 468 initial codes were generated, which were deduplicated and semantically categorized to form 18 first-order open codes, 6 second-order axial codes, and 2 third-order selective core codes. Results The training objective constituent elements for postgraduates under the rehabilitation engineering track are divided into two major dimensions: academic research and practical application, which cover six core subcategories. The theoretical construction, methodological innovation, and academic expression belong to the academic research dimension; the practical application dimension consists of problem identification, problem solving, and value realization. The elements of the two dimensions support each other and coordinately conform to the training logic of postgraduates in the rehabilitation engineering track. Conclusions This study constructs a dual-helix constituent element model of training objectives for postgraduates of the rehabilitation engineering track centered on ″academic research-practical application.″ Integrating the training characteristics of medicine-engineering interdisciplinary integration and industry-education integration, the model can provide theoretical support and practical reference for universities to optimize postgraduate training programs for the Rehabilitation Engineering track, improve the talent cultivation system of interdisciplinary disciplines, and meet the industry′s demand for high-level professionals.

Outpatient clinic rotation is a critical component of internal medicine standardized residency training. To meet the requirements of the training standards, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine reformed the traditional ″preceptor-led″ model into a ″dynamic rotation″ model for internal medicine outpatient rotations. In this model, residents rotated through eight subspecialties on a weekly basis, supported by a three-level collaborative management framework of ″base-department-faculty″, a two-way evaluation system between supervisors and residents, and digital process management tools. The teaching effects of the two models were compared using theoretical examination, objective structured clinical examination, and questionnaire. Third-year residents who completed their internal medicine outpatient rotation at our hospital between June 2024 and May 2025 were enrolled (n=51) and naturally allocated by rotation period into the preceptor-led model (n=26) and the dynamic rotation model (n=25). The χ² test or Fisher′s exact test, independent-samples t test, or Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. Results showed that the dynamic rotation group achieved significantly higher scores compared with the preceptor-led group in OSCE stations of history taking, physical examination, and clinical reasoning and decision-making [94.50(7.80) vs. 91.25(7.60), 93.00(7.80) vs. 90.50(18.30), 88.00(9.00) vs. 84.50(5.00), all P<0.05]. Self-rated scores in five dimensions (disease diversity, learning interest, interdisciplinary thinking, confidence in independent diagnosis, and doctor-patient communication) and overall satisfaction were also significantly higher in the dynamic rotation group [5.00(0) vs. 4.00(1.00), 5.00(1.00) vs. 3.00(2.00), 5.00(1.00) vs. 3.00(2.00), 4.00(2.00) vs. 3.00(1.00), 5.00(1.00) vs. 3.50(1.00), 5.00(0) vs. 3.50(1.00), all P<0.05], with no significant difference in depth of subspecialty learning between the two groups [5.00(1.00) vs. 4.00(1.00), P=0.190]. The most frequently reported problem in both groups was insufficient teaching time during outpatient clinics. However, the proportion of residents whose clinic hours were shortened due to non-teaching tasks was significantly lower in the dynamic rotation group[8.0%(2/25) vs. 38.5%(10/26), P=0.019 ]. This study indicates that the dynamic rotation model effectively covers a broad range of subspecialty diseases while maintaining the depth of subspecialty learning, and it enhances residents′ clinical practice abilities and learning experience. However, constrained by common factors such as insufficient outpatient teaching time, the homogenization of teaching quality and the formative evaluation system still require continuous improvement.

Objective To explore the core factors influencing the training effectiveness of continuing medical education (CME) programs and to construct a theoretical model of these influencing factors. Methods A grounded theory qualitative research approach was adopted. In July 2024, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 in-service clinical medical staff participating in CME programs. The interview data were analyzed using Nvivo 12.0 software through three levels of coding: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Results Through the three-level coding analysis, 51 initial concepts were extracted, summarized into 16 preliminary categories, and finally formed into 5 main categories: instructional design (including curriculum setting, learning content, teaching methods, evaluation and feedback), course quality (including teaching objectives, teaching resources, teaching process), teacher competence (including teaching level, teaching style, communication and interaction, teacher qualities), external environment (including physical environment, social environment), and individual characteristics (including interactive participation, developmental needs, learning interest). Based on these, a ″Learner-Instructor-Instruction-Curriculum-Environment″ influencing factor model was constructed. Conclusions Individual characteristics of trainees, teacher competence, instructional design, course quality, and external environment are the core factors influencing the effectiveness of CME training. The ″Learner-Instructor-Instruction-Curriculum-Environment″ model systematically reveals the interaction mechanism of these factors on the effectiveness of CME training, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing training programs and improving training quality.

Objective To develop a scientific, systematic, and operational evaluation indicator system for clinical skills examination bases of the qualification examination for clinical category physicians in China, to explore its construction methodology and theoretical basis, and to inform the standardized construction and quality improvement. Methods An initial indicator pool was constructed through literature review and semi-structured interviews. Based on the Context-Input-Process-Product model and stakeholder theory, an indicator framework was established. From December 2025 to February 2026, 16 experts familiar with the construction and operation of clinical skills examination bases were selected through purposive sampling in collaboration with the National Medical Examination Center. Two rounds of Delphi consultation were conducted for indicator screening and revision, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process was employed to determine indicator weights at all levels. Seven representative bases from eastern, central, and western China were selected for empirical evaluation. Results Both rounds of expert consultation yielded 16 valid questionnaires. The expert authority coefficient was 0.944 (judgment basis: 0.950, familiarity: 0.938). The Kendall′s coefficients of concordance for the first round ranged from 0.378 to 0.392 (all P<0.05), and for the second round from 0.416 to 0.450 (all P<0.001), indicating good expert consensus. The final evaluation indicator system comprised three primary indicators (Basic Support, Process Quality, and Final Outputs), ten secondary indicators, and 33 tertiary indicators. Among the primary indicators, Process Quality had the highest weight, followed by Basic Support and Final Outputs. The comprehensive scores of the seven clinical skills examination bases ranged from 71.59 to 93.61, showing significant differences among bases. Conclusions The evaluation indicator system for clinical skills examination bases of the qualification examination for clinical category physicians developed in this study has a solid theoretical foundation, scientific methodology, and high expert recognition. It can serve as an effective tool for the standardized construction and quality improvement of examination bases, and its construction methodology has good practical application value and policy implications.

Communication competence is regarded as an essential component of core competencies required of medical professionals, which is directly associated with the quality of medical services and doctor-patient relationships. The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 and is a founding member of both the Russell Group and Universitas 21, its medical education follows the common norms of undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom. The clinical communication curriculum is delivered throughout the whole period of undergraduate medical training. Distinctive features including longitudinally connected training objectives, multidisciplinary teaching faculties, progressively advanced teaching contents, experiential-dominated learning activities, and formative assessment with continuous feedback are adopted in this curriculum. Based on its experience, a whole-process training system of doctor-patient communication competence adapted to domestic contexts is suggested to be constructed in Chinese medical schools. A teaching team consisting of clinical supervisors and simulated patients is recommended to be established, as well as a closed-loop system covering assessment, feedback in improvement of communication competence.