Objective To explore the application of academic workshop centered on the cultivation of medical students′ scientific research ability. Methods A questionnaire survey was used. In May 2022, 101 medical students who participated in the academic workshop held by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January to September 2021 were selected as the research participants. Questionnaires were conducted to investigate their satisfaction with the teaching of academic workshops and the effect of academic workshops on improving their scientific research ability. Variance analysis and t test were used for data analysis. Results Ninty-three (92.1%) medical students were satisfied with the teaching method of academic workshop. There were 76(75.2%), 62(61.4%), 72(71.3%) and 70(69.3%) medical students who were satisfied with the four first-level indicators of improving communication ability, cultivating innovative thinking, improving experimental operation level and improving scientific research interest, respectively. There were statistically differences between postgraduate students, doctoral students and undergraduates in six secondary indexes [for example, "regular academic discussion with tutor": (2.53±0.72) vs.(3.12±0.71)vs.(3.64±0.50), P<0.001]; In the two second-level indicators of "regular academic discussion with tutor" "having higher enthusiasm to achieve common scientific research goals with tutors", undergraduates were lower than postgraduate students and doctoral students, and the differences were statistically significant, there is no statistical difference between postgraduate students and doctoral students [for example, "having higher enthusiasm to achieve common scientific research goals with tutors": the score of undergraduate students (2.78±0.71),postgraduate students (3.27±0.60),doctoral students (3.55±0.65), all P<0.001,However, compared the scores of postgraduate students and doctoral students,P=0.768]. Conclusions The subject-centered academic workshop teaching method has been recognized by medical students. There are differences in the effect of workshop teaching on the cultivation of scientific research ability of medical students at different educational levels. Attention should be paid to undergraduate students and postgraduate students at the initial stage of scientific research, implementing academic workshop teaching in a more effective way.