Students’ Preferences on Rotation Scheduling of Tuina Department for Professional Master’s Students: A Student Perspective Survey
Abstract
Objective: To clarify the preferences and core demands of professional Master’s students in Tuina at Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine regarding “concentrated” versus “dispersed” rotation schedules in the Tuina department, as well as their preferred year for primary rotation, providing evidence for optimizing rotation programs and improving the quality of standardized training. Methods: Paper questionnaires, including two multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question, were distributed to 30 professional Tuina Master’s students, completed on site, and collected immediately. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze preference distributions. Results: A total of 30 questionnaires were distributed and 30 valid responses were collected, achieving a 100% response rate. Among them, 23 students (76.7%) supported “concentrated training,” while seven students (23.3%) preferred “dispersed training.” Regarding rotation year preference, 18 students (60.0%) selected the second year for concentrated Tuina rotations, eight students (26.7%) selected the third year, and four students (13.3%) selected the first year. The core demands supporting concentrated training were “skill continuity, deep involvement in diagnosis and treatment, and smooth mentorship transition,” whereas those supporting dispersed training were “integration of multi-department knowledge, coordination of research time, and avoidance of fatigue from a single department.” Conclusion: Most professional Tuina Master’s students prefer concentrated Tuina rotations in the second year. It is recommended that institutions adopt a “second-year core department concentrated + auxiliary department flexible dispersed” model and establish flexible coordination and feedback mechanisms to balance clinical skill development with individualized growth needs.
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