Cultivation of “Clinical-Research” Compound Talents for Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Dilemma and Reform Thoughts on Integration of Scientific Research under Scientific Research System

Abstract

Under the current medical education reform, the “clinical-research” model for TCM master’s degrees is a key approach to advancing the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. With the core of “dual-track integration,” this model aims to enhance both clinical practice and research abilities simultaneously. However, ten years of practice have shown that it still faces multiple challenges: an imbalance between clinical rotation time and research investment, deeply rooted attitudes that prioritize clinical work over research, insufficient TCM research resources and fragmented platforms, and poor coordination between policy and teaching design. These issues, particularly the methodological differences between TCM experience-based medicine and modern evidence-based medicine, further complicate the integration of clinical and research efforts. Therefore, there is an urgent need to promote the deep integration of research training into clinical practice through system design, value orientation, and evaluation systems, fostering a new ecological environment where clinical and research efforts thrive together. This will help cultivate TCM professionals with both strong clinical skills and innovative research capabilities, providing sustained momentum for the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine.