Objective To investigate the application effect of peer-assisted learning(PAL)combined with mind mapping method in the clinical teaching of physical examination in the hematology department.Methods A Total of 117 clinical medical students from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included,who were randomly divided into three groups,control group(traditional teaching mode),the experimental group 1(PAL teaching mode)and the experimental group 2(PAL combined with mind mapping teaching mode),from January 2022 to March 2023.The teaching effects of physical examination were evaluated by the test of theoretical knowledge,practical capability and subjective questionnaire.Results The scores of students'theoretical knowledge,practical capability and subjective questionnaire showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05)among the three groups.The results of the experimental group 1 and 2 were better than that in the control group,among which the PAL combined with mind mapping group was the best one,with statiscally significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion The combination of PAL and mind mapping teaching mode helps students to master clinical skills and exercise the ability of clinical thinking to improve the teaching quality.