3D intelligent printing technology-assisted training improves core competencies of clinical medicine interns: bridging undergraduate further education and community health service needs

Introduction Clinical internship education for Chinese clinical medicine interns faces dual pressures of postgraduate entrance exams and the National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE), with persistent flaws in self-directed, mobile, and transformational learning. 3D Intelligent Printing Technology (3DIPT) has been widely applied in the surgical system for medical education and surgical planning, yet its value in community medicine-oriented internship training remains unclear. Methods This quasi-randomized controlled trial enrolled 120 interns (observation group: 3DIPT-assisted teaching, n = 60; control group: traditional teaching, n = 60) to evaluate core competency changes. Results After 6 months, the observation group showed significantly higher scores in simulated NMLE anatomical imaging tests, Social Medical Curiosity (SMC), self-directed anatomy learning, mobile learning willingness, and transformational learning ability (all p < 0.05). Discussion 3DIPT-assisted teaching may effectively improve interns’ core competencies for community medicine practice, providing a feasible dual-track training strategy for balancing postgraduate education and community physician cultivation in developing countries.