BOPPPS-Based Teaching with Professionalism Integration Improves Multidimensional Outcomes in Undergraduate Geriatric Medicine Clerkships: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Geriatric medicine clerkships require instructional approaches that foster not only clinical competence but also self‑directed learning and professional values. Structured, learner‑centered teaching models may support these multidimensional outcomes more effectively than traditional lecture‑based instruction. This study evaluated the educational effects of BOPPPS‑based teaching with professionalism integration in undergraduate geriatric medicine clerkships. Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted in 2024 involving 80 undergraduate clinical medicine students completing a geriatric medicine clerkship at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Students were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving BOPPPS‑based teaching with integrated professionalism‑focused elements ( n  = 40) or a control group receiving traditional teaching ( n  = 40). Learning outcomes were assessed using a three‑dimensional framework encompassing knowledge, skills, and values. Knowledge was evaluated using ethics and case‑analysis items derived from the National Medical Licensing Examination. Skills outcomes included structured observation of medical history‑taking behaviors and a validated self‑directed learning ability scale. Values were measured using a professional values questionnaire and a teaching satisfaction survey. Group comparisons were performed using appropriate parametric or non‑parametric statistical tests, with a two‑sided significance level set at P < 0.05. Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantly better performance in the skills domain compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Notable improvements were observed in social support inquiry, economically adaptive clinical decision‑making, and the completeness of cognitive and psychological assessments. Students in the intervention group also achieved significantly higher scores in overall self‑directed learning ability, particularly in information processing, communication, and collaboration (P < 0.05). In the values domain, higher scores were observed for key professional values, including contribution, self‑actualization, and interpersonal relationships, along with greater teaching satisfaction (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between groups in the knowledge domain (P > 0.05). Conclusion: BOPPPS‑based teaching with professionalism integration was associated with enhanced clinical skills, improved self‑directed learning, and stronger professional values among undergraduate students in geriatric medicine clerkships. This approach represents a feasible strategy for promoting multidimensional learning outcomes in undergraduate medical education.