Aesthetic education refers to the cultivation of students" aesthetic knowledge and aesthetic ability through various courses and subject teaching methods and influences, promoting the improvement of aesthetic standards and comprehensive development of university students in the new era. As an important part of quality education in colleges and universities, public art elective course is the basic means and significant pathway to realize aesthetic education. Offering public art elective courses in local medical colleges plays a crucial role in enhancing students" artistic literacy and aesthetic capabilities, cultivating their artistic sentiments, and comprehensively advancing quality education. Based on the actual situation of the construction of public art elective courses in local medical colleges, this paper conducted a questionnaire survey among students and teachers, respectively, to explore the current situation and construction ideas of public art elective courses, strengthen the quality of art quality education in local medical colleges, improve students" aesthetic education literacy, and promote students" all-round development.