Artificial intelligence curriculum in medical education: a Canadian cross-sectional mixed-methods study
Open accessAbstract
Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have diverse applications in medicine. As AI tools advance towards clinical implementation, skills in how to use and interpret AI in a healthcare setting could become integral for physicians. We deployed a 56 question survey to all 17 Canadian medical schools that assessed currently available learning opportunities about AI, the perceived need for AI education, and barriers to educating about AI among undergraduate medical students. Additionally, interviews were conducted with participants to provide narrative context, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The authors received 475 responses from students at 17 of 17 Canadian medical schools. Likert scale survey questions were scored from 1 (disagree) to 5 (agree). Respondents agreed that AI applications in medicine would become common in the future (3.80 ± 0.38) and would improve medicine (3.71 ± 0.54). Further, respondents agreed that they would need to use and understand AI during their medical careers (3.76 ± 0.572; 3.43 ± 0.773), and that AI should be formally taught in medical education (3.43 ± 0.756). In contrast, a significant number of participants indicated that they did not have any formal educational opportunities about AI (1.76 ± 785) and that AI-related learning opportunities were inadequate (2.12 ± 0.802). Interviews with 18 students were conducted, with emerging themes including a lack of formal education opportunities and logistical challenges in adding AI to curriculum. Given that medical students overwhelmingly belief that AI is important to the future of medicine, and the progression of AI tools towards clinical implementation, AI should be considered for inclusion in formal medical curriculum.
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Students generally expressed enthusiasm for integrating AI into their future medical practice, many believed AI had the potential to enhance and transform medicine by optimizing physicians' workloads and reducing healthcare costs, and students viewed AI as a supportive tool that can assist physicians, help mitigate medical errors, and enhance patient care.
“Overall, in addition to positive attitudes toward AI, students generally expressed enthusiasm for integrating it into their future medical practice [70, 71]. Many believed AI had the potential to enhance and transform medicine by optimizing physicians’ workloads and reducing healthcare costs [42, 72, 73]. Additionally, students viewed AI as a supportive tool that can assist physicians, help”
From Artificial intelligence in undergraduate medical education: an updated scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [72]
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- Pucchio, A., Papa, J., Del, & de Moraes, F. Y. (2022b). Arti cial intelligence in the medical profession: ready or not, here AI comes. Clinics, 77, 100010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100010 · DOI
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Artificial intelligence in undergraduate medical education: an updated scoping review
Simoni, J., Urtubia-Fernandez, J., Mengual, E., Simoni, D. A., Royo, M., Egaña-Yin, D., Hertog, O. L. A., López-Ortiz, L., Muñoz-Tomás, A., Santiago-Martínez, P., et al. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-08188-2 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
How AI Tools are Accepted and Utilized in Academia: A Mixed Methods Study
Fabia, J. N., Napoles, V., Goh, J. E. E., & Borbon, M. R. (2025) · Journal of Social and Scientific Education · doi:10.58230/josse.v2i1.295 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
- Authors
- Pucchio, A., BHSc, R. R., Caton, N., Gariscsak, P., Papa, J. D., Nabhen, J. J., Vo, V., Lee, W., & de Moraes, F. Y.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Queen’s University
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, London
- Department of Oncology, Queen's University
- Venue
- Research Square
- Publisher
- Research Square Platform LLC
- Published
- 2022-06-17
- OpenAlex
- W4283029323
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Medical Education
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence in healthcare, artificial intelligence in education, medical curriculum, undergraduate medical students, medical schools, Canadian medical education, student perceptions of AI, clinical implementation of AI
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