Objective To evaluate the effect of life-and-death education intervention on death anxiety and palliative care knowledge among medical interns. Methods Fifty medical interns received a 4-week (12-hour) life-and-death education intervention including lectures, case analysis, group discussion, role-play, field visits and reading reflection. The revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (FODS, 28 items) and a self-designed palliative care knowledge questionnaire (41 items) were administered before and after the intervention. Student evaluations were also collected. Results After the intervention, the scores for “fear of own death” decreased from 17.5±0.7 to 14.1±8.6 (t=2.653, P=0.026), “fear of own dying” decreased from 21.0±4.2 to 16.5±8.9 (t=3.216, P=0.011), and palliative care knowledge scores increased from 73.2±8.5 to 80.1±5.9 (t=-3.975, P=0.002). Eighty-six percent of students agreed that the course content was rich. Ninety-two percent of students believed it enhanced their confidence in medical practice. Qualitative analysis identified four themes: “recognition of teaching methods”, “need for content depth”, “expectation for practical application”, and “need for emotional support”, students show recognition of diverse teaching methods, but hope for increased communication skills training and emotional support mechanisms. Conclusion Short-term life-and-death education intervention may help reduce medical interns’ anxiety about their own death and improve palliative care knowledge. However, this single-group design with limited sample size requires cautious interpretation, and long-term effects need further verification.