Aesthetic education refers to the cultivation of students' aesthetic knowledge and aesthetic ability through various courses and subject teaching methods and influences, so as to promote the improvement and all-round development of college students' aesthetic level in the new era. As an important part of quality education in colleges and universities, public art elective course is the basic means and important way to realize aesthetic education. Public art elective courses in local medical colleges play an important role in improving students' artistic accomplishment and aesthetic ability, cultivating students' artistic sentiment and promoting quality education in an all-round way. Based on the actual situation of the construction of public art elective courses in local medical colleges and universities, this paper conducts a questionnaire survey among students and teachers to explore the current situation and construction ideas of public art elective courses, in order to strengthen the quality of art quality education in local medical colleges and universities, improve students' aesthetic education literacy, and promote students' all-round development.