Analysis of Personality Traits and Feedback on Video-Based Flipped Classroom versus Traditional Teaching during Clinical Presentation among Clinical-Year Medical Students at a Medical College in Nepal

Background Medical curricula are increasingly adopting video-based flipped classroom teaching, yet how students of the current generation experience this transition, and how their personality traits pattern with their preferences, remains under-explored in Nepal. This study analysed medical students’ feedback on video-based flipped classroom versus traditional didactic teaching during Clinical Presentation sessions, and described the predominant personality traits of the cohort. Methods A multi-method pilot study was conducted among clinical-year medical students at Patan Academy of Health Sciences. Students completed an online pro forma containing open-ended feedback questions on both teaching methods, a preference item, and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). Qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis using Colaizzi’s method and sentiment classification; BFI-10 scores were used to determine trait means and predominant traits. Results Sixty-three students responded; 62 provided analysable feedback. Positive sentiment was expressed by 54/62 (87.1%) students for video-based flipped teaching versus 31/62 (50.0%) for traditional teaching, and 54/62 (87.1%) preferred the video-based blended format. Themes favouring the flipped model were self-paced repeatable learning, embedded quizzes sustaining attention, pre-class preparedness enriching discussion, and audio-visual clarity; weaknesses were platform/technical problems, limited real-time doubt clarification, and the need for self-discipline. Traditional teaching was valued for immediate two-way interaction and faculty clinical experience but criticised for passivity, attention fatigue, and poor retention. Agreeableness was the predominant trait (60.3% of students had it among their highest-scoring domains; mean 3.65 ± 0.71), and it remained predominant in both preference groups. Conclusions Students overwhelmingly favoured the video-based flipped classroom, echoing the learning habits of a digital-native generation, while an agreeable, cooperative trait profile characterised the cohort irrespective of preference. Blended designs that preserve human interaction while exploiting self-paced multimedia appear best aligned with both generational and personality characteristics.