Integrating AI into medical education

Despite significant changes in the field of medicine in recent decades, medical education continues to rely primarily on traditional curricula that lack essential concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and fail to familiarise students with AI and other emerging technologies. 

A recent survey conducted by Stanford Medicine revealed that 44% of physicians and 23% of medical students and residents reported that their education did not adequately prepare them for the integration of new technologies in healthcare. 

There are currently no accreditation requirements pertaining to AI in medical education. This knowledge gap between engineers, clinicians, and scientists is widening as healthcare increasingly transitions to a digital environment. Consequently, young physicians are ill-equipped to use AI in clinical practice. 

To promote the effective implementation of AI in clinical practice, it is imperative for physicians to develop a comprehensive understanding of AI and its applications in healthcare.  

Therefore, medical education must incorporate AI topics and concepts into a structured and validated curriculum framework. Existing curriculum frameworks should be critically reviewed, and if none are available, a suitable framework should be developed. 

To evaluate the existing state of AI curricula, a scoping review is currently underway. The review aims to examine established AI curriculum frameworks and educational programs, thereby facilitating the development or adoption of AI curriculum frameworks in medical educational institutions. 

The integration of AI into medical education holds tremendous potential, as it will equip future healthcare providers with the necessary skills to navigate the digital healthcare landscape effectively. By harnessing AI-powered technologies, diagnostic accuracy can be improved, treatment outcomes can be enhanced, and personalised medicine can become a reality. 

The scoping review protocol is available in the July 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis:  

Curriculum frameworks and educational programs in artificial intelligence for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians

Tolentino, Raymond; Baradaran, Ashkan; Gore, Genevieve; Pluye, Pierre; Abbasgholizadeh-Rahimi, Samira

JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(7):p 1477-1484, July 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-22-00374