Medical schools must be early adopters of technology to best prepare health professionals for this increasingly high-tech field, says a Texas A&M dean.
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One day, during a hospital visit, a robot might record your vital signs and ask how you’re feeling. This information is transmitted to human healthcare professionals who have saved time and resources by using artificial intelligence to complete basic tasks. Dr. Amy Waer, Jean and Tom McMullin Endowed Deans of Texas A&M University Faculty of Medicinehope that day comes as soon as possible.
“We’ll need to make sure AI tools work well at the bedside,” she joked.
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Amy Waer
Texas A&M University
But she speaks seriously about emerging technologies in health and medicine, the need for rapid adoption, and how the Faculty of Medicine hopes to use AI.
Leading with early adoption
With technology that includes portable devices, 3D printed medicine And robot-assisted surgeriesthe possibilities seem endless when it comes to innovations that improve human health. As a Mays Business School professor recently notedit is imperative to train students in the use of AI in all fields.
Waer says she advocates for early adoption of technologies, particularly in medical education, finding a key example from her experience in medical school.
“When I was a general surgery resident in the 90s, laparoscopic surgery I was just getting on board,” she said. “Some general surgeons – the professors who trained me – said, ‘This will never get big, we’re not doing that.’ But the OB-GYNS where she trained said, “That’s fantastic, we’re going to run this.” And they did, and now laparoscopic surgery is the standard of care.
“I am confident that emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, will revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered, not only to medical school students, but also to patients and doctors. And we need to ride this wave and be in front of it rather than behind it,” Waer said.
Established in 1977 and approaching its 50th anniversary, Waer says Faculty of Medicine is particularly suited to early adoption due to its dispersed regional campus model.
The Faculty of Medicine is exploring the possibilities of an AI assistant to help students throughout their medical studies.
Texas A&M University College of Medicine
“The College of Medicine currently has four campuses: a campus here at Bryan-College Station, a campus in Houston, a campus in Round Rock and one in Dallas,” Waer said, noting that among all the medical schools in the State, A&M has the largest regional footprint. “The integration of these technological advances into our university medical programs, on several campuses, is not only a priority but truly a necessity to fully prepare our students for the environment in which they will practice. »
Explore AI
Waer says the college focused its initial AI efforts on its educational mission with tools designed for students. “Specifically, we are investigating the potential use of AI-generated personal assistants for incoming first-year medical students to support their academic success through individualized tutoring and knowledge testing.” The hope is to launch a pilot project next year.
“They would all like to have individual human tutors,” Waer said. “But we don’t have enough medical students and/or senior faculty to do that, so we thought: How could they benefit from this type of support that guides them through medical school and in their career? There are opportunities there for AI.
Waer said that at some point she would like the college to add patient digital assistants for their health center in Bryan.
“We are exploring how to leverage AI to help our patients navigate a very complex healthcare system,” she said. “Innovation is a word that comes up all the time, but we really want to walk the talk, training our Aggie doctors to very easily use these technologies to complement and improve the healthcare system. »