Multidimensional learning outcomes of an integrated ideological-political and case-based learning curriculum in clinical medicine education

Background Traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) in clinical medicine emphasizes knowledge transfer but often underdevelops clinical thinking, autonomous learning, and professional values. Combining curriculum-based ideological and political education (CIPE), a Chinese curricular policy implemented here through professional values, with case-based learning (CBL) may address these gaps, but multidimensional evaluations are scarce. Methods This retrospective concurrent class-cohort study reviewed records of 736 students enrolled in “Introduction to Clinical Medicine” at a single institution during the 2024–2025 academic year. Parallel sections were assigned to a pilot CIPE + CBL curriculum (8 sections, n = 368) or LBL (8 sections, n = 368). The pilot was a bundled intervention (case-based delivery, pre-class preparation, small-group discussion and debate, reflective writing, and CIPE-related value content), so the design evaluates the package rather than individual components. Seven domains were assessed at completion: theoretical knowledge, clinical skills (OSCE), clinical thinking, autonomous learning, doctor-patient communication, teaching satisfaction, and ideological-political literacy (professional ethics, humanistic care, and teamwork). Cohorts were compared using Welch's t -test with Bonferroni correction, with Cohen's d for effect sizes. Sensitivity analyses accounted for clustering within sections, and a post hoc subgroup analysis examined pre-course academic standing. Results Baseline characteristics were comparable (all p > 0.05). The CIPE + CBL cohort scored significantly higher across all seven domains (corrected p < 0.007), with large effect sizes (Cohen's d 1.30 to 1.59), notably in doctor-patient communication (85.9 ± 5.7 vs. 76.2 ± 6.5; d = 1.59) and teaching satisfaction ( d = 1.54). Improvements were consistent across sub-dimensions. Differences remained significant after accounting for clustering (intraclass correlation 0.028–0.052; all p < 0.001). In the post hoc subgroup analysis, the between-cohort difference in theoretical knowledge was at least as large in the lowest pre-course tertile as in the highest (9.6 vs. 7.0 points; interaction p = 0.213). Conclusion An integrated CIPE + CBL curriculum was associated with better multidimensional learning outcomes than traditional LBL in this single-institution cohort. Because the curriculum bundled simultaneous changes and the design was observational, these findings are hypothesis-generating rather than causal. Prospective multicenter studies with component-level designs are needed to confirm the effects and identify which elements drive them.