The Comprehensive Impact and Future Directions of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education

The Comprehensive Impact and Future Directions of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education

The integration of Artificial Intelligence into medical education is an issue of considerable significance and ongoing discussion. Recent research has investigated diverse aspects of this issue, encompassing student views and curriculum development, thereby elucidating the benefits and challenges that AI may pose in this emerging domain.

A cross-sectional needs assessment study delineated essential dimensions in medical students' perceptions of AI, classified as ‘Knowledge and Trust,’ ‘Disadvantages and Risks,’ and ‘Informed Self-Control’ (1). This shows that students see the potential of AI, but they also know its limits and risks. This means that AI education needs to be balanced and well-informed.

AI has made a major difference in healthcare, as proven by the fact that it might make clinical practice better. AI has made it feasible to make diagnoses more accurate and faster, such reading medical images or lab testing. AI technologies have been found to make clinical laboratories far more efficient, especially when it comes to blood cultures or susceptibility testing (2). This illustrates that AI can make a major difference in both healthcare and education.

ChatGPT and Bard are two examples of generative artificial intelligence technologies that have been praised for their many uses in medical education. These applications encompass self-directed learning and simulation scenarios. However, because it is hard to keep academic integrity and make sure that data is correct (3), you need to have good critical thinking skills and be willing to rethink how you assess students. This shows how important it is to use generative artificial intelligence in medical education in a balanced way.

An e-Delphi study also shows how important it is to change medical school curricula to include skills related to artificial intelligence. This study suggests that medical school graduates should be trained in skills that allow them to understand how medical artificial intelligence works, deal with the moral issues surrounding AI, and provide health care that is compatible with AI (4). More and more people are coming to the conclusion that medical education needs to change in order to adequately train future physicians for a healthcare environment that incorporates AI.

There are a lot of problems with artificial intelligence (AI) that need to be carefully thought about and planned for, but it also has a lot of exciting possibilities for improving medical education and healthcare delivery. In the future, schools should teach students about both the moral and practical sides of artificial intelligence (AI). This will make sure that doctors can use AI well and know what it can and can't do.

References:

1. Banerjee M, Chiew D, Patel KT, Johns I, Chappell D, Linton N, et al. The impact of artificial intelligence on clinical education: perceptions of postgraduate trainee doctors in London (UK) and recommendations for trainers. BMC Medical Education. 2021;21(1):429.
2. Weidener L, Fischer M. Teaching AI Ethics in Medical Education: A Scoping Review of Current Literature and Practices. Perspect Med Educ. 2023;12(1):399-410.
3. Çalışkan SA, Demir K, Karaca O. Artificial intelligence in medical education curriculum: An e-Delphi study for competencies. PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0271872.