Objective From the perspective of clinical medicine students, to understand the current situation and demands of medical humanities education, analyze existing problems, and explore optimization strategies, providing references for the comprehensive reform of medical humanities education in China. Methods Using stratified cluster sampling, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 4 655 medical students, including third- to fifth-year undergraduate students from six medical colleges in Hebei Province and first-year master's students from 31 resident physician training bases, from June to October 2024. Descriptive analysis and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 4 394 valid electronic questionnaires were collected. Among them, 84.52% (3 714/4 394) were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall situation of medical humanities education, and 71.07% (3 123/4 394) believed that strengthening medical humanities education was very important for their future career development. The main courses offered by the institutions were medical ethics, with 85.94% (3 776/4 394) of the students taking it, and the most favored medical humanities course was medical ethics, with 59.90% (2 632/4 394) of the students choosing it. The main teaching methods implemented by the institutions were large-class knowledge lectures, with 82.09% (3 607/4 394) of the students experiencing them, and the most favored teaching method by the students was medical humanities skills training, with 60.22% (2 646/4 394) of the students preferring it. The main assessment methods were open-book exams, with 50.80% (2 232/4 394) of the students experiencing them, and the most favored assessment method by the students was formative assessment, with 62.08% (2 728/4 394) of the students choosing it. The most favored teaching scenario by the students was the influence of the behavior and demeanor of mentors or teaching physicians, with 77.63% (3 411/4 394) of the students selecting it. Conclusions Medical humanities education has achieved certain results, and medical students attach importance to medical humanities education. The standards for medical humanities course settings need to be improved, and the teaching methods and assessment methods are relatively monotonous. It is necessary to respect the individual needs of students, pay attention to the shaping of students' emotions, and improve the quality of medical humanities education by establishing a scientific medical humanities education concept, enhancing the synergy of medical humanities courses, constructing a diversified teaching evaluation system that integrates knowledge and practice, and leveraging the exemplary role of medical humanities teachers.