Abstract: Objective To evaluate the intervention effect of the Chongqing Medical University-Liangshan Health School (LHS) paired assistance program on medical education in underdeveloped regions. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was adopted. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 650 project stakeholders (students and teachers from LHS, supporting teachers from Chongqing Medical University, and medical administrators in Liangshan Prefecture) to collect quantitative data such as satisfaction, teaching confidence, and curriculum relevance. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with 32 representative participants to interpret and elaborate on the quantitative results. Paired t-test and correlation analysis were used for the analysis of quantitative data. Results The program′s core interventions were effectively implemented. Quantitative evaluation revealed high overall satisfaction [(4.62±0.58) on a 5-point scale]. LHS teachers showed a significant increase in teaching confidence after training [(4.67±0.57) vs. (3.25±0.42), P<0.01]. A total of 324(92.5%) students perceived the curriculum as aligned with primary care needs. Clinical internship satisfaction (4.63±0.51) was strongly correlated with self-assessed clinical competence (4.55±0.60), r=0.72, P<0.01. While traditional face-to-face support was superior in interactivity and learning depth, digital resources scored higher in accessibility, though their impact was limited by a ″digital divide″. Qualitative analysis uncovered key mechanisms: the transition from ″knowledge transfer″ to ″capacity empowerment″, the crucial role of contextualized clinical practice, the ″double-edged sword″ effect of digital resources, and the systemic shift from external ″blood transfusion″ to internal ″blood production″. Conclusions The systematically designed inter-institutional support program substantially improved faculty capacity, curriculum relevance, and clinical training quality in Liangshan, and has demonstrated initial features of the transition from a ″blood transfusion″ support model to a ″blood production″ model. Future iterations should prioritize a blended support model integrating online preparatory learning with hands-on, in-person training, while actively addressing the digital divide to achieve more precise and sustainable capacity building.

Key words: Education, medical, Inter-institutional support, Counterpart assistance, Effectiveness evaluation, Mixed-methods research