⚡ Quick Summary
A novel blended learning curriculum on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for medical students in Germany has shown promising results in enhancing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards AI in clinical practice. The course received high acceptance, with all participants recommending it to their peers. 🎓
🔍 Key Details
- 📅 Course Duration: 5-day elective course
- 📚 Modules Included: AI, digital doctor-patient communication, digital health applications, telemedicine, virtual/augmented reality, and robotics
- 👥 Participants: 35 clinical-year medical students
- 🗣️ Evaluation Method: Semistructured small group interviews
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 🤖 AI Module: Effectively generates competencies regarding AI technology.
- 💡 Critical Perspective: Fosters a nuanced understanding of AI among students.
- 📈 High Acceptance: All participants would recommend the elective to peers.
- 📝 Comprehensive Feedback: 214 statements on AI categorized into application areas, future work, and critical reflection.
- 🌍 Educational Model: The curriculum could serve as a model for other medical institutions.
- 📊 Need for AI Training: Highlights the pressing need for AI-focused curricula in medical education.
📚 Background
As AI systems become increasingly integrated into clinical practice, it is essential for both practicing physicians and medical students to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to utilize these technologies effectively. Despite the growing relevance of AI in healthcare, there remains a significant gap in AI-focused curricular training and continuing education for medical professionals.
🗒️ Study
The study introduced a blended learning curriculum that included a dedicated AI module as part of a broader elective course titled “Medicine in the Digital Age.” This course aimed to equip medical students with the skills to navigate the digital landscape of healthcare, including AI applications. Following the course, participants engaged in semistructured interviews to evaluate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards AI.
📈 Results
A total of 18 group interviews were conducted, with all 35 participants contributing to the discussion. The analysis revealed a total of 214 statements regarding AI, categorized into three main areas: “Areas of Application,” “Future Work,” and “Critical Reflection.” Additionally, 610 statements reflected the overall positive assessment of the elective, indicating significant learning benefits and high acceptance of the teaching concept.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The findings from this study underscore the importance of integrating AI education into medical training. By fostering a critical perspective and enhancing competencies related to AI technology, medical students are better prepared to engage with these innovations in their future careers. As the number of AI applications in medicine continues to grow, the need for comprehensive AI-focused curricula becomes increasingly urgent.
🔮 Conclusion
This study highlights the potential of a blended learning approach to effectively prepare medical students for the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in healthcare. The positive feedback and high acceptance rates suggest that such curricula could serve as a valuable model for medical education institutions worldwide. Continued research and development in this area are essential to ensure that future healthcare professionals are equipped to leverage AI technologies for improved patient care. 🌟
💬 Your comments
What are your thoughts on the integration of AI in medical education? We would love to hear your insights! 💬 Please share your comments below or connect with us on social media:
Novel Blended Learning on Artificial Intelligence for Medical Students: Qualitative Interview Study.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming increasingly relevant in everyday clinical practice, with Food and Drug Administration-approved AI solutions now available in many specialties. This development has far-reaching implications for doctors and the future medical profession, highlighting the need for both practicing physicians and medical students to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively use and evaluate these technologies. Currently, however, there is limited experience with AI-focused curricular training and continuing education.
OBJECTIVE: This paper first introduces a novel blended learning curriculum including one module on AI for medical students in Germany. Second, this paper presents findings from a qualitative postcourse evaluation of students’ knowledge and attitudes toward AI and their overall perception of the course.
METHODS: Clinical-year medical students can attend a 5-day elective course called “Medicine in the Digital Age,” which includes one dedicated AI module alongside 4 others on digital doctor-patient communication; digital health applications and smart devices; telemedicine; and virtual/augmented reality and robotics. After course completion, participants were interviewed in semistructured small group interviews. The interview guide was developed deductively from existing evidence and research questions compiled by our group. A subset of interview questions focused on students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding medical AI, and their overall course assessment. Responses were analyzed using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. This paper reports on the subset of students’ statements about their perception and attitudes toward AI and the elective’s general evaluation.
RESULTS: We conducted a total of 18 group interviews, in which all 35 (100%) participants (female=11, male=24) from 3 consecutive course runs participated. This produced a total of 214 statements on AI, which were assigned to the 3 main categories “Areas of Application,” “Future Work,” and “Critical Reflection.” The findings indicate that students have a nuanced and differentiated understanding of AI. Additionally, 610 statements concerned the elective’s overall assessment, demonstrating great learning benefits and high levels of acceptance of the teaching concept. All 35 students would recommend the elective to peers.
CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation demonstrated that the AI module effectively generates competences regarding AI technology, fosters a critical perspective, and prepares medical students to engage with the technology in a differentiated manner. The curriculum is feasible, beneficial, and highly accepted among students, suggesting it could serve as a teaching model for other medical institutions. Given the growing number and impact of medical AI applications, there is a pressing need for more AI-focused curricula and further research on their educational impact.
Author: [‘Oftring ZS’, ‘Deutsch K’, ‘Tolks D’, ‘Jungmann F’, ‘Kuhn S’]
Journal: JMIR Med Educ
Citation: Oftring ZS, et al. Novel Blended Learning on Artificial Intelligence for Medical Students: Qualitative Interview Study. Novel Blended Learning on Artificial Intelligence for Medical Students: Qualitative Interview Study. 2025; 11:e65220. doi: 10.2196/65220