Teaching Ourselves as We Teach our Learners: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Student Education
by Laryssa A. Patti MD | July 13, 2026
Article Citation: Blanco MA, Nelson SW, Ramesh S, Callahan CE, Josephs KA, Jacque B, Baecher-Lind LE. Integrating artificial intelligence into medical education: a roadmap informed by a survey of faculty and students. Med Educ Online. 2025 Dec;30(1):2531177. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2025.2531177.
What is this article about?
Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is likely to become a medical student core competency in the future, since AI is becoming increasingly embedded in clinical practice, including clinical documentation, diagnostic support, and medical imaging. This article examines the current perceptions and use of AI among a group of faculty and students at a single large urban institution. The authors surveyed medical students and faculty to learn about their awareness of current AI tools, perceived benefits, barriers to adoption, ethical concerns, and curricular needs. The authors not only advocate for the use of AI in the curriculum; but frame AI as a systems-level change in medicine and medical education that requires intentional curricular design, faculty development, and ethical oversight.
Why should you read the article?
This article is relevant for those who create curricula at the UME level. AI is already used by learners for studying, note drafting, and clinical reasoning support. This article emphasizes the need for medical schools to intentionally design curricula that include AI in a practical, operational manner. It also advocates for intentional faculty development so that AI can be a collaborative tool in medical education to augment and support human capabilities. This article provides realistic caution for faculty members and students adopting AI, such as privacy concerns, the need to verify AI generated content, and the potential to weaken critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. The authors list areas where AI can be incorporated into curricular development, including specific examples of assignments by medical student year.
How can you use this article?
This article can be used for: (1) faculty development, including introducing faculty less-familiar with AI to real world examples of how students are using AI in their curricular work, (2) policy formation at the clerkship or medical school level, (3) curricular design, including examples of how to incorporate AI intentionally into medical student education, and (4) anchor for discussion of ethical concerns in the use of AI in medical student education.
Review Author: Laryssa Patti, M.D., Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Interim Assistant Dean for Clinical Education, Rutgers Health Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Organization: Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine