With the continuous advancement of medical technology and the improvement of public health awareness, women’s health issues have received unprecedented attention and importance. According to recent global health statistics, gynecological cancers such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide (1). The rising incidence of various tumors, including gynecological malignancies such as ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer, significantly contributes to global morbidity and mortality. These diseases are not only diverse but also involve a wide range of diseases, presenting significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment (2). Faced with the complexity of medical and surgical treatment of gynecological malignancies, clinical gynecologists need to have higher professional knowledge and skills to ensure that they can accurately identify symptoms, develop effective treatment plans, and provide high-quality diagnosis and treatment services (3).

As medical education evolves toward a competency-based, student-performance-focused curriculum, the demand for teaching models is increasing under the new situation, and standardized medical education is increasingly valued by the world (4). At present, traditional teaching methods are still the main method in medical and clinical teaching. This is necessary and effective for popularizing important knowledge and concepts. Because it often has a large audience, the traditional lecture teaching method is indeed the most economical and effective theoretical teaching method (5). However, the traditional teaching model is dominated by clinical teachers, who often adopt a cramming teaching method, where teachers actively transfer theoretical knowledge, while students (in most cases) passively listen, annotate and accept the content presented by teachers, that is, knowledge is instilled into students in a one-way manner (6).

However, traditional medical training falls short in equipping students with the interdisciplinary competencies needed in modern medicine. Several studies indicate that traditional lecture-based approaches lack the engagement and practical application required for complex fields such as gynecological oncology, where both interdisciplinary knowledge and clinical skills are essential (7–9). The traditional medical education model struggles to adapt to the requirements of contemporary medical practice (10, 11). Teaching hospitals, therefore, play a crucial role in hands-on clinical training of interns from medical universities, as they provide exposure to real-world medical scenarios and patient interactions (12). Consequently, there is a pressing need to explore innovative teaching models that enhance engagement, clinical reasoning, and practical skills, ultimately improving the quality of medical education.

Case-based learning (CBL) is a teaching strategy that has gained significant acclaim both domestically and internationally in recent years (13). CBL’s effectiveness has been documented across various disciplines, as it allows students to apply theoretical knowledge in realistic clinical contexts, promoting deep learning and enhancing clinical reasoning skills (14–16). Its core concept involves constructing learning scenarios through in-depth analysis of specific cases. This method typically places students in simulated environments akin to real clinical settings, allowing them to deepen their understanding and mastery of knowledge through problem-solving and addressing challenges. CBL encourages students to actively explore and discover new knowledge points, fostering critical thinking and innovation (17–19). The flexibility and student-centered approach of CBL also cater to the diverse learning needs of medical students, making it a preferred teaching model in various medical curricula. Through this teaching model, students become acquainted with complex cases across various medical fields and learn to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, thereby transforming and enhancing their knowledge.

Multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) of tumors involves systematic discussions by experts from multiple disciplines, based on the patient’s condition and tumor characteristics, to scientifically integrate various diagnosis and treatment measures and formulate the most appropriate treatment plan (20). MDT has become the preferred treatment model for gynecological malignancies (21). The MDT model enhances patient care outcomes and has demonstrated improved survival rates in gynecological oncology by leveraging insights from fields such as radiology, pathology, surgery, and pharmacology (22, 23). In clinical teaching, the MDT model was initially implemented in tumor specialties but is typically integrated into CBL or problem-based learning rather than used alone. Studies have shown that combining MDT with CBL can provide students with a holistic view of patient care, equipping them with the multidisciplinary perspective needed in today’s collaborative healthcare environment (17, 24). A review of the literature revealed that the CBL method has been applied in undergraduate and graduate medical education (25), but no systematic scope review has thoroughly explored the effectiveness of the MDT model combined with CBL teaching (26).

In this study, we employed the MDT combined with the CBL teaching model in the clinical teaching of gynecological tumors. We then analyzed the application value of this teaching model in gynecological medicine education, aiming to cultivate medical talents with a solid theoretical foundation and practical skills through high-quality education and training.

The results of this study indicate that the MDT combined with CBL teaching model presents clear advantages over traditional teaching methods in gynecological oncology training. The new teaching model promotes a competency-based, student-centered approach, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. Interns in the research group rated the new model more favorably than the traditional approach, and their performance in terms of knowledge acquisition, clinical reasoning, teamwork, and communication skills showed statistically significant improvement compared to the control group.

This teaching method not only ignores the individual students’ independent learning potential and learning enthusiasm, but also limits students’ innovative thinking and critical thinking ability, affecting the quality of clinical skills training, and thus affecting the overall quality and effect of clinical teaching. Gynecological oncology is a highly professional branch of medicine. On the one hand, its practicality requires medical students to not only master solid theoretical basic knowledge but also have the practical ability to flexibly apply this knowledge in clinical practice (27). On the other hand, the reason why this subject is difficult to master is largely because it is closely related to the patient’s sensitive privacy information, which affects students’ interest and enthusiasm in this subject and makes learning more difficult. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to change the traditional teaching model and adopt more humane, diversified, and interactive educational methods.

As early as 1997, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States pioneered the MDT approach in the field of tumor treatment. Medical education scholars later applied this method to clinical teaching, involving joint teaching with instructors from multiple related disciplines (28). CBL is a teaching method that uses real clinical scenarios to prepare students for clinical practice (29). Unlike traditional textbook-style lectures, CBL encourages students to engage in peer learning and apply new knowledge to real clinical problems under the guidance of mentors (17, 30).

Compared to traditional teaching methods, CBL demonstrates unique advantages. Rather than merely imparting knowledge, it emphasizes driving the learning process through practical and meaningful results. This teaching model focuses on cultivating students’ rigorous logical reasoning abilities, enabling them to think independently and solve complex problems. CBL promotes a structured and critical approach to solving clinical problems (31). Trainees explore clinically relevant topics with clear goals under open-ended questions, discussing medical history, physical examination findings, and laboratory test results. Through the discussion of clinical cases related to the topics taught, students use higher-order cognition to assess their understanding of concepts, which encourages active learning and enhances critical thinking skills (32, 33).

The design of this study was to apply a teaching model combining multidisciplinary diagnosis and CBL teaching to the teaching of gynecological oncology interns in our hospital, to comprehensively assess the value of the clinical application of this model in the training of gynecological oncology interns. The results indicated that the overall evaluation of the teaching effect under the new model by teaching instructors was superior to that of the traditional teaching model. Interns in the research group also rated the new model more favorably than the traditional teaching approach. The research group outperformed the control group in terms of knowledge acquisition ability, learning initiative, learning interest, clinical integration, clinical analysis ability, clinical diagnosis and treatment thinking, teamwork ability, literature retrieval and reading ability, doctor-patient communication ability, and clinical language expression ability. The differences were statistically significant. The final examination scores, based on three dimensions—basic theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and case analysis—were higher in the research group than in the control group, with significant differences observed. This indicates that the new model significantly stimulated the students’ potential for independent learning, consistent with findings from foreign literature reviews (5, 6, 15, 34, 35).

The new model overcomes the limitations of traditional teaching methods in undergraduate medical education by enhancing dynamic interaction between teachers and students. This dynamic learning process increases students’ interest and motivation, leading to greater concentration during lessons and maximizing learning potential. Students are encouraged to work in groups to deeply explore targeted cases designed by their instructors. They combine what they have learned and, under the guidance of multidisciplinary instructors, view clinical cases from multiple perspectives, analyze and deduce, and ultimately solve problems (24, 36). This approach not only improves their ability to analyze and solve problems and think comprehensively but also promotes mutual learning and collaboration among them. Such a communication platform allows students to share their ideas and experiences, and teachers to better understand each student’s characteristics and needs, providing personalized guidance and support, thereby enhancing student-teacher communication (37, 38).

Although planning MDT combined with CBL may require considerable time, especially in preparing clinical cases and coordinating with other instructors, teachers provided positive feedback in their self-assessment reports. The multidisciplinary lead teachers expressed hope that by introducing more practical cases and discussions, students would better understand how to balance accessing medical information with protecting patient privacy, thus increasing their interest and motivation in the subject. Through interdisciplinary team collaboration and guidance, we break down disciplinary barriers, promote the exchange and sharing of knowledge, and provide students with broader perspectives and deeper learning experiences. This improves the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment capabilities of interns, better preparing them for real-world medical and clinical challenges.

In summary, the MDT combined with the CBL teaching model, based on real clinical cases in gynecological oncology teaching, presented significantly better teaching effects than traditional methods. This aligns with the expectations of both teachers and students and serves as a major guarantee for the promotion of the new model.