Enhancing clinical skills education through scenario-based simulation with debriefing: A randomized controlled study on bone marrow aspiration training

Background: Simulation-based medical education is gaining traction for its safety, repeatability, and near-realistic scenarios. Debriefing is vital for deep learning and translating theory into practice. This study applies scenario-based simulation with structured debriefing to bone marrow aspiration training to offer a replicable, scalable model and evidence of its effectiveness in clinical skills education. Methods: One hundred twelve clinical medicine students were prospectively randomized into control (n = 54) and experimental (n = 58) groups. The control received traditional teaching; the experimental underwent debriefing-based simulation training in bone marrow puncture. We compared pre- and posttest scores, bone marrow puncture assessments, skill test scores, and objective structured clinical examination results, evaluating clinical operations, diagnosis and treatment, and complication management. Satisfaction and teaching experience of the experimental group were surveyed. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher posttest, puncture assessment, skill test, and total objective structured clinical examination scores compared with control ( P < .05). Questionnaire responses indicated enhanced enthusiasm for clinical practice, learning interest, diagnostic thinking, doctor–patient communication, and teamwork awareness. Conclusion: Debriefing-based simulation teaching improves teaching quality, clinical performance, learning motivation, and diagnostic thinking, and is broadly applicable in clinical skills education.