Training Interventions and Data Collection
DISEASE, PATHOGENESIS, SYNDROME
PTC-IMTCM was conducted in the second semester of the sophomore year (36 class hours, 3 class hours/week, a total of 12 weeks). Both groups had the same teaching materials, such as Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and textbooks. The VSP-TCM group received 36 class hours of VSP-TCM training. The teaching methods were as follows: (1) The teacher discussed the fundamentals of the disease, including etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, syndrome differentiation and treatment, and key points of history collection; (2) students logged into the VSP-TCM system, selected a disease to practice, and entered the simulated medical scene; (3) students completed the diagnosis and treatment with a VSP, following the process shown in The control group received 36 class hours of traditional academic training, which included teacher teaching and group discussion. Specifically, the teaching methods were as follows: (1) The teacher discussed the fundamentals of the disease and syndrome, similar to the VSP-TCM group; (2) students were randomly assigned to several study groups; (3) students discussed the case provided by the teacher, made a diagnosis, and suggested treatments for the disease within the specified time frame; (4) the teacher evaluated the answers and provided feedback to the students; and (5) students voluntarily completed after-school exercises and recorded their learning time.This study was initiated on February 26, 2020, and concluded on August 20, 2021. From the start of the study to March 2021, staff not involved in the study conducted a prequestionnaire investigation and gathered data on the participants’ performance in basic TCM and WM courses. Next, the 13-week PTC-IMTCM course was conducted from April 1 to July 10, 2021 (first 12 weeks, training; 13th week, evaluation). Finally, investigators who did not take part in the study collected and analyzed the data by August 20, 2021.