Implementing Undergraduate Medical Education Reform to Enhance Problem-Solving and Practical Skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Competency-Based Education
• Clinical Skills Training

Background:

• Significant theory-practice integration gaps exist in Chinese undergraduate medical education.
• 32.7% of graduates require additional procedural training, highlighting educational deficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a competency-based curriculum reform.
• The reform specifically targets enhancing problem-solving and practical clinical skills.

Main Methods:

• A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted in Anhui, China (2023-2024).
• 180 medical undergraduates were assigned to a control (traditional) or intervention (reformed curriculum) group.
• The reformed curriculum included 40% practice-oriented content and integrated Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Team-Based Learning (TBL), and Case-Based Training (CBT).
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE)-aligned tools assessed outcomes.

Main Results:

• The intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in theoretical scores (78.7 vs 68.3, P < 0.01).
• Clinical skill excellence was higher in the intervention group (80.4% vs 60.2%, P < 0.001).
• Adaptability in PBL was also significantly enhanced in the intervention group (70.1% vs 42.3%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The competency-based reform effectively bridges the theory-practice gap in medical education.
• The enhanced curriculum improves clinical decision-making abilities.
• Scalability of this educational reform requires institutional support and investment.