Student-centered, humanities-guided teaching of the “Medical Practical English” course and its assessment

Abstract Objective Medical English holds increasing significance for medical students in non-English speaking countries. To foster self-directed, active learning among these students, we introduced innovative teaching methods that emphasize student-centered learning, with humanities integrated into this education. Methods Guided by a student-centered educational philosophy, this course incorporated hybrid online-offline teaching models. By harnessing contemporary educational technologies, this course focused on practical application, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the course and honing comprehensive skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Concurrently, this course explored the integration of medical humanities within the curriculum, while establishing a multi-dimensional grading system including self-assessment, peer evaluations, and instructor reviews. Results Three unique survey questionnaires were designed to gather feedback. Post-course evaluations indicated a significant rise in students’ receptivity to medical English. Additionally, there has been a notable enhancement in both application skills and medical knowledge pertaining to medical English. Conclusion Based on student-centered learning, students acquired integrated systematic thinking through the course, developed clinical thinking patterns, improved doctor-patient communication and collaboration skills, and enhanced their ability in paper reading and writing. The exploration of the “Medical Practical English” course provides an excellent example of student-based humanities education modes in medical curriculum design.