Rationale: Plaster of Paris (POP) serves as a fundamental orthopedic material for fracture immobilization and facilitating the healing process. For medical students, mastering anatomical principles and evidence-based practices is paramount, as these competencies significantly enhance patient outcomes. Proper application of POP not only ensures patient comfort but also minimizes the need for repeated casting or surgical interventions to maintain limb immobilization.

Aims and objectives: This study compares the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of three groups of medical students regarding the use of POP to evaluate how structured internship impacts their clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to senior students of the bachelor's degree (4Y-MS and 5Y-MS) and early master's degree students (1Y-MMed) for comparative analysis.

Results: There were notable differences among the three groups (4Y-MS, 5Y-MS and 1Y-MMed) in terms of gender, age, preferred specialty during clinical rotation, and specialty of choice (p = 0.004, p < 0.0001, p = 0.009, and p = 0.504, respectively). The 5Y-MS and 1Y-MMed groups reported higher scores for self-practice in applying a POP cast than did the 4Y-MS group [91 (82.73%), 172 (91.71%), and 76 (80.39%)], as collected through a questionnaire. Furthermore, only a small percentage of participants (n = 61) were postgraduate majors in orthopedic surgery, and even fewer (n = 10) received training from attending orthopedic surgeons. The participants' overall knowledge level was relatively low, with a score of 5.76 ± 1.25. Bloom's cut-off point indicates a moderate overall knowledge score of 71.97%, a positive attitude score of 90.75%, and a good practice score of 94.29%. The linear regression analysis revealed that all participants' knowledge levels were significant, but only the 1Y-MMed group's scores increased with the medical curriculum. The medical curriculum and clinical trainer's academic position influenced knowledge scores and attitudes, with the latter being the only factor that led to increased practice items.

Conclusion: The 5Y-MS or 1Y-MMed have better KAP when using a POP cast than 4Y-MS. Trainers' implication is a key factor in enhancing appropriate attitudes and practices among students.

Keywords: Plaster of Paris; attitude; casting materials; knowledge; medical students; practice.

© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

理由： 熟石膏（POP）是骨折固定和促进愈合过程中的基本骨科材料。对于医学生来说，掌握解剖学原理和循证实践至关重要，因为这些能力显著提高了患者的治疗效果。正确使用POP不仅可以确保患者舒适，还可以减少重复包扎或手术干预的需要，以维持肢体固定。

目标与目的： 本研究比较了三组医学生（4Y-MS、5Y-MS和1Y-MMed）关于使用POP的知识、态度和实践(KAP)，以评估结构化实习对他们临床决策能力和患者治疗效果的影响。

方法： 通过发放结构性问卷，对本科高年级学生（4Y-MS和5Y-MS）以及硕士一年级学生（1Y-MMed）进行比较分析。

结果： 三组（4Y-MS、5Y-MS 和 1Y-MMed）在性别、年龄、临床轮转期间的偏好专科及选择的专科方向方面存在显著差异（p = 0.004，p

结论： 5Y-MS 或 1Y-MMed 学生在使用 POP 石膏时的知识、态度与实践(KAP)优于4Y-MS学生。培训师的参与对于提升学生的适当态度和实践至关重要。

关键词： 熟石膏；态度；包扎材料；知识；医学生；实践。