Objective To explore the application value and teaching effect of 3D printing and virtual reality in the medical imaging teaching of skull base nerve for medical students. Methods From September 2021 to September 2022，25 students from the dental base who received standardized training in the Department of Radiology were selected as the research subjects and were randomly divided into two groups， the experimental group （n=12） and the control group （n=13）. The 3D teaching models of skull base nerve was developed according to the requirements of the teaching syllabus， through discussion with teaching and research staff in the department of image diagnostics. The teaching model based on virtual reality technology was established through the web platform， which include two parts： background management and front-end learning. The total teaching time of both groups is 25 hours， including 20 hours of theoretical lectures and 5 hours of practical lectures. The teaching methods based on 3D printing and virtual reality were used in the experimental group for theoretical teaching， while the traditional teaching mode was used in the control group. Both groups of students took comprehensive examinations， and the assessment results of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Students in the experimental group filled out the teaching quality questionnaire to evaluate the quality of 3D printing molds and the learning effect of virtual teaching models. Results The comprehensive assessment results of the experimental group （87.22±15.86） were better than those in the control group （57.35±25.27）， and the difference was statistically significant （P=0.037）. The students in the experimental group gave good evaluations in terms of teaching quality and teaching satisfaction. They wanted to be exposed to more of these molds and were willing to recommend this learning method to other students. Conclusion The application of 3D printing and virtual reality technology in the imaging teaching of skull base nerve has good teaching quality and exact teaching effect，which is worthy of further promotion and verification in the teaching of complex anatomical imaging

3D printing, Virtual reality technology, Teaching method, Skull base nerve, Medical imaging