Table 1 Demographic data of the trainees among the three groups from 2018–2020 (n = 147)

Age, mean ± SD

21.45 ± 0.71

21.43 ± 0.84

21.31 ± 0.87

0.446

0.641

Gender, n (%)

0.221

0.895

Female

27 (55.10)

29 (59.18)

27 (55.10)

Male

22 (44.90)

20 (40.82)

22 (44.90)

Basic courses of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mean ± SD

Fundamental theory of TCM

72.16 ± 2.94

72.22 ± 3.71

72.06 ± 3.26

0.030

0.970

Chinese materia medica

76.35 ± 4.65

76.20 ± 3.28

75.80 ± 3.59

0.265

0.767

Diagnostics of TCM

75.67 ± 2.30

75.53 ± 2.14

75.98 ± 1.80

0.591

0.555

Formulaology of TCM

75.76 ± 2.75

75.78 ± 2.34

76.22 ± 1.81

0.635

0.531

Basic courses of Western Medicine, mean ± SD

Anatomy

75.65 ± 2.31

75.92 ± 2.77

75.45 ± 3.80

0.296

0.744

Physiology

71.92 ± 2.47

71.94 ± 2.98

72.31 ± 3.32

0.269

0.764

Pathology

75.08 ± 2.75

75.08 ± 2.75

74.49 ± 4.36

0.506

0.604

Medical biology

74.04 ± 2.58

74.10 ± 2.76

74.45 ± 2.65

0.334

0.716

Diagnostics of western medicine

74.29 ± 2.38

74.06 ± 2.80

74.47 ± 2.93

0.278

0.758

2018 (n = 45)

Age, mean ± SD

21.47 ± 0.64

21.40 ± 0.74

21.27 ± 1.16

0.202

0.817

Gender, n (%)

0.180

0.914

Female

9 (60.00)

8 (53.33)

8 (53.33)

Male

6 (40.00)

7 (46.67)

7 (46.67)

Basic courses of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mean ± SD

Fundamental theory of TCM

72.20 ± 3.12

72.33 ± 3.92

72.67 ± 3.85

0.078

0.925

Chinese materia medica

75.60 ± 5.04

74.73 ± 3.43

75.47 ± 2.77

0.218

0.805

Diagnostics of TCM

77.27 ± 1.58

76.40 ± 2.17

75.87 ± 1.41

2.452

0.098

Formulaology of TCM

76.67 ± 2.26

77.13 ± 2.36

76.13 ± 1.77

0.818

0.448

Basic courses of Western Medicine, mean ± SD

Anatomy

75.53 ± 2.39

75.53 ± 2.42

75.80 ± 2.31

0.063

0.939

Physiology

71.67 ± 2.06

70.33 ± 1.40

70.87 ± 2.17

1.862

0.168

Pathology

75.53 ± 2.17

74.73 ± 2.49

74.13 ± 2.59

1.261

0.294

Medical biology

74.60 ± 3.11

74.20 ± 3.05

75.13 ± 2.45

0.395

0.676

Diagnostics of western medicine

74.80 ± 3.19

74.93 ± 2.71

74.07 ± 2.34

0.426

0.656

2019 (n = 48)

Age, mean ± SD

21.50 ± 0.63

21.44 ± 0.96

21.31 ± 0.70

0.240

0.788

Gender, n (%)

0.171

0.918

Female

9 (56.25)

10 (62.50)

9 (56.25)

Male

7 (43.75)

6 (37.50)

7 (43.75)

Basic courses of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mean ± SD

Fundamental theory of TCM

71.56 ± 2.34

71.81 ± 2.76

71.81 ± 3.76

0.037

0.964

Chinese materia medica

74.88 ± 5.03

75.69 ± 2.92

75.31 ± 4.66

0.143

0.867

Diagnostics of TCM

76.38 ± 1.36

76.44 ± 1.75

77.00 ± 1.16

0.911

0.410

Formulaology of TCM

76.63 ± 2.10

76.63 ± 1.71

77.13 ± 1.15

0.464

0.632

Basic courses of Western Medicine, mean ± SD

Anatomy

75.69 ± 1.92

75.56 ± 2.58

74.75 ± 2.02

0.862

0.429

Physiology

71.94 ± 1.57

72.44 ± 3.74

72.31 ± 1.89

0.162

0.851

Pathology

75.75 ± 2.49

75.94 ± 2.79

75.13 ± 3.18

0.360

0.699

Medical biology

74.06 ± 2.57

74.56 ± 2.50

74.19 ± 2.88

0.154

0.858

Diagnostics of western medicine

74.31 ± 1.89

73.81 ± 2.29

75.50 ± 2.94

2.066

0.139

2020(n = 54)

Age, mean ± SD

21.39 ± 0.85

21.44 ± 0.86

21.33 ± 0.77

0.082

0.922

Gender, n (%)

0.450

0.799

Female

10 (55.56)

11 (61.11)

9 (50.00)

Male

8 (44.44)

7 (38.89)

9 (50.00)

Basic courses of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mean ± SD

Fundamental theory of TCM

72.67 ± 3.31

72.50 ± 4.38

71.78 ± 3.23

0.297

0.744

Chinese materia medica

78.28 ± 3.38

77.89 ± 2.83

76.50 ± 3.19

1.598

0.212

Diagnostics of TCM

73.72 ± 2.11

74.00 ± 1.57

75.17 ± 2.15

2.750

0.073

Formulaology of TCM

74.22 ± 3.06

73.89 ± 1.49

75.50 ± 2.04

2.483

0.094

Basic courses of Western Medicine, mean ± SD

Anatomy

75.72 ± 2.68

75.56 ± 3.20

75.78 ± 5.67

0.236

0.790

Physiology

72.11 ± 3.39

72.83 ± 2.77

73.50 ± 4.55

0.653

0.525

Pathology

74.11 ± 3.12

74.61 ± 2.89

74.22 ± 6.22

0.066

0.937

Medical biology

73.56 ± 2.12

73.61 ± 2.81

74.11 ± 2.63

0.262

0.771

Diagnostics of western medicine

73.83 ± 2.01

73.56 ± 3.24

73.89 ± 3.25

0.069

0.934