This study assessed the correlation between humanistic education and administrative efficiency in specific Chinese medical institutions through a convergent parallel design. In this mixed-methods design, quantitative surveys of students and faculty were conducted alongside qualitative interviews with administrators, and the datasets were analyzed concurrently before integration at the interpretation stage. Quantitative data from students and faculty revealed high levels of humanistic development, including empathy and compassion, ethical-moral formation, interpersonal skills, holistic care, and professionalism, as well as robust administrative efficiency in resource utilization, time management, organizational workflow, administrative support, and technology integration. Spearman’s rho analysis revealed no significant correlation between students’ assessment of humanistic education and teachers’ assessment of administrative efficiency, suggesting that these dimensions evolve simultaneously yet independently. Interviews with administrators further disclosed the use of the “embed–don’t–add” strategy, characterized by integrating human competencies into existing curricula and clinical practice rather than imposing additional requirements. Competing curricula, limited resources, inordinate workloads, and a culture that simply resisted change were among the largest challenges. These strategies included curriculum integration, process optimization, and reward alignment. Results suggest that students interpreted humanistic education as dependent on existing institutional culture and mentoring practices more than the will of the administration. A policy framework is proposed to facilitate a balanced development model through integrated planning and dual performance indicators of humanistic outcomes and administrative efficiency.

Keywords: humanistic education, administrative efficiency, medical education, professional identity formation, educational governance, curriculum integration