A clear understanding of the factors affecting the development of preclinical medical skills plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of training and ensuring the clinical competence of the future healthcare workforce. Recent studies emphasize that the curriculum, resources, and teaching methods do not merely have isolated impacts but also exhibit a complex interaction. Evidence-based curricula, combined with modern simulation technologies and a highly specialized teaching staff, are regarded as essential solutions for improving skills and clinical problem-solving abilities. These strategies contribute to the creation of a high-quality healthcare workforce, capable of meeting the increasingly stringent demands of clinical practice (Sören Eric Huwendiek, 2016). The primary objective of this study is to identify and categorize the key determinants influencing preclinical medical skills through bibliometric analysis, combined with advanced statistical methods. Using VOSviewer, we visualize the interrelationships among these factors, providing a clear framework for reference. This research aims to highlight previously underexplored elements and offer actionable insights for optimizing preclinical medical education programs, thereby enhancing teaching methodologies and improving educational outcomes. This study employs a cross-sectional bibliometric analysis, integrating data from Scopus to analyze co-citation and co-authorship patterns to identify key factors influencing preclinical medical skills. Data were retrieved using the search formula: 'TITLE-ABS-KEY (Medical) AND (clinical) AND (skill) AND (factor*) AND ("affecting" OR "influencing").' The data set consists of 697 publications from Scopus, published between 2000 and 2025, focusing on studies related to medical education and preclinical skills. The VOSviewer tool (version 1.6.20) was selected for its ability to effectively visualize and map co-citation and co-authorship networks, providing clear insights into the relationships among influencing factors. Advanced statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis and network centrality measures, were used to identify the most influential factors and their interconnections. Metrics such as network density and time-slicing techniques were applied to analyze temporal changes in the research focus. This methodology has strategic significance in optimizing teaching strategies, thereby enhancing the quality of preclinical medical education. This study identifies key publishing trends in the medical field, showing significant growth since 2000, with a breakthrough in 2019. The United States leads in the number of publications, followed by the United Kingdom. Network analysis of collaborations highlights the strong partnership between the U.S. and the U.K., with frequent co-authorship links. Prominent keywords, including 'human,' 'medical education,' 'clinical competence,' and 'clinical practice,' reflect core themes in medical education, with 'clinical competence' showing a marked increase in publications after 2019. Leading journals, such as BMJ, JAMA, Acad Med, and Med Educ, exhibit substantial influence, with BMJ publishing over 35 articles on medical education between 2000 and 2025 on this topic. These journals significantly contribute to shaping the field's development. These findings provide strategic insights for guiding future research and improving medical education strategies, aimed at enhancing training quality and practical application. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the key determinants in the development of preclinical medical skills, highlighting the roles of teaching methods, technology integration, and student engagement. The findings hold strategic significance for shaping education policies based on scientific evidence and developing targeted teaching strategies tailored to practical needs, contributing to the enhancement of training quality. This research maps knowledge to support evidence-based decision-making, guiding the implementation of medical education activities and fostering further research, thereby improving preclinical medical skills training strategies.
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