Junjun Shen,1,2 Qin-Chang Chen,1 Jun-Jie Li1 

1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Maternal-Fetal Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Jun-Jie Li, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, No. 106, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, Email lijunjie6802@163.com

Background: Residency training provides systematic, competency-based education for medical graduates. Although specialised knowledge and clinical skills are crucial in pediatric cardiology, training in China is often limited to 2– 3 months with lecture-heavy approaches. We explored integrating clinical pathway(CP) and case-based learning (CBL) models to enhance training efficiency.
Methods: The study involved 47 second-year pediatric trainees in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (2021– 2024), randomly divided into a traditional teaching (TT) group and a CP-CBL group. Both groups underwent a 3-month training period, with no significant baseline differences (age: 21.6 ± 1.2 vs 22.1 ± 0.8 years; eight male trainees/group). The TT group received conventional lectures and ward-based learning. In the CP-CBL group, standardized instruction for common diseases was delivered through CP, whereas atypical/complex cases were taught with CBL. Both groups covered identical syllabus and duration. Outcomes were assessed through a theoretical test, case analysis, and an anonymous trainee questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. Group means were compared using Welch’s t-tests (α = 0.05) in R software (significance level: p < 0.05).
Results: Among 47 pediatric trainees, 24 (51.1%) were assigned to the CP-CBL group. No significant differences in age, experience, or prior CP-CBL exposure were observed between groups. All trainees completed the rotation exam. The CP-CBL group outperformed the TT group in comprehensive assessments (case analysis + theory exams), with 37.5% vs 4.3% of trainees scoring > 90 points respectively. Trainees in the CP-CBL group reported higher satisfaction with learning interest (p < 0.01) and perceived skill improvement (p < 0.01), but no significant differences in course organisation (p = 0.49) or instructor performance (p = 0.79).
Conclusion: In pediatric cardiology training, CP-CBL outperformed TT in both knowledge acquisition and learner engagement.

Keywords: pediatric education, clinical pathway, CBL teaching mode, cardiology