To explore the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) combined with case-based learning (CBL) teaching method in enhancing the clinical internship of medical international students.

A total of 90 international students who internshiped in surgery from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Hospital from January 2023 to February 2024 were selected as the research subjects. They were randomly divided into a research group (CBL+PBL group, 45 students) and a control group (Lecture based Learning, LBL group, 45 students) using a random number table. Compare the differences in teaching effectiveness and satisfaction between two groups in the field of surgery.

In terms of basic theory exams, the average score of international students in the research group was significantly better than that in the control group (72.15±8.85) points; In terms of clinical skill assessment, the average score of international students in the research group was significantly better than that in the control group (76.34±9.28) points, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The research group rated higher than the control group in four aspects, including Learning interest, literature review ability, language expression ability and clinical thinking ability, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The satisfaction level of the research group's international students with the teaching mode is 100%, while the satisfaction level of the control group's international students with the teaching mode is 86.67%.

The combination of PBL and CBL teaching method is beneficial for deepening the understanding of general surgical theory knowledge among medical international students, cultivating their ability to learn independently and solve problems, and is significantly better than the control group teaching method. It can effectively improve the theoretical and practical teaching and training effectiveness of medical students.