Endocrine and metabolic diseases exhibit considerable diversity, with clinical manifestations affecting virtually all body systems. Consequently, teaching in this field is highly specialized, posing significant challenges for students to master. It is worthwhile to discuss approaches to improving the teaching quality in endocrinology and metabolism. This study investigates the impact of integrating clinical pathway with representative cases studies on resident education in the department of endocrinology and metabolism. From January 2021 to January 2022, a total of 87 residents who received standardized training in the department of endocrinology and metabolism at our hospital were randomly assigned to either the traditional teaching method group or the clinical pathway combined with case-based teaching group. Upon joining the department, all students training in teaching methodologies, and their professional knowledge was systematically assessed and evaluated. At the conclusion of the four-week training program, students underwent a comprehensive reassessment, evaluation, and survey. This study demonstrated that, compared with the traditional teaching method, the integration of clinical pathway and case-based teaching significantly improved students’ theoretical examination scores (p < 0.001) and Mini-CEX assessment scores (p < 0.001), as well as enhanced trainees’ overall satisfaction with their instructors (p < 0.01). Additionally, students in the group integrating clinical pathway and case-based teaching methods reported higher satisfaction with the teaching approach compared to those in the traditional teaching group (p = 0.000). Furthermore, the integration of clinical pathway and case-based teaching method has significantly enhanced students’ satisfaction with instruction (χ2 = 7.85, p = 0.005). It is suggested that the integration of clinical pathway with case-based teaching appears to be more beneficial and effective than traditional teaching method in enhancing the academic performance and clinical competencies of residents undergoing standardized training, while also yielding higher levels of students’ satisfaction.
Chen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.