Compulsory dental basic research course, Dental education, Curriculum load, Basic research skills, Basic research knowledge, Dentistry, RK1-715

Abstract Introduction Since 2015, the Guanghua School of Stomatology has established an elective dental basic research course (EDBRC). To make all students benefit from the dental basic research course without causing excessive academic burden, the “flexible” compulsory dental basic research course (CDBRC) was settled in 2020. This study intends to introduce the “flexible” compulsory teaching module and assessment system of CDBRC, and analyze its effectiveness over 3 years. Materials and methods The grade point average (GPA), course pressure, level of basic research knowledge and skills, and students’ research achievements were collected and analyzed between EDBRC and CDBRC. The unpaired t test was used to analyze the difference. Results The “flexible” CDBRC has been successfully constructed with compulsory teaching module and hierarchical assessment system. The CDBRC has not caused significant course pressure to students compared with the EDBRC. Besides, the “flexible” CDBRC can improve the students’ GPA, basic research knowledge, and research achievements. Conclusions The “flexible” CDBRC can improve students’ academic performance and basic research abilities without causing significant course pressure, which can be conducted in dental schools with similar backgrounds. Trial registration Not applicable.