Exploration on the Undergraduate Teaching Reform Path of Nephrology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Outcome-Based Education

In current undergraduate education of traditional Chinese medicine, there is a notable disconnect between theoretical learning and clinical practice, particularly evident in the insufficient ability to apply classical texts such as “The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon” and “Treatise on Cold Damage” to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. This study implemented a teaching reform based on the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) concept in the undergraduate education of the Nephrology Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A closed-loop model of “design - implementation - evaluation” was adopted to enhance students’ ability to apply TCM classics in guiding the clinical diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. After the implementation of the teaching reform, students demonstrated a significant and positive trend in improvement regarding the core clinical competency indicators of applying classical Chinese medicine texts for syndrome differentiation and treatment of kidney diseases, as well as formulating principles, methods, prescriptions, and medications. This model successfully constructs a closed-loop chain for ability cultivation, providing a new paradigm for the reform of clinical teaching in traditional Chinese medicine.