AI in Health Professions Education: Balancing Personalized Learning with Essential Human Skills

Strengths, Gaps, and Opportunities of AI in Health Professions Education

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is becoming a common tool in health-related education, supporting students in areas like practice, inquiry, production, and knowledge acquisition. A recent systematic review from Monash University highlights how GenAI is shaping learning experiences but also raises concerns about its impact on critical thinking and peer interaction.

The review analyzed 33 peer-reviewed studies involving medical, nursing, dentistry, veterinary, and pharmacy students. It found that GenAI is widely used for personalized, self-directed learning, with 73% of papers noting its role in practice, 70% in inquiry, 67% in production, and 55% in acquisition. However, it is much less involved in fostering discussion and collaboration, each appearing in only 12% of the studies.

Shift Toward Individualized Learning

This trend suggests that GenAI encourages more independent learning at the expense of group interaction. While GenAI tools enhance content generation and support multi-modal learning, there is still a notable gap in how these technologies can be integrated responsibly to promote teamwork and communication skills—key components in health professions.

Educators need to find ways to balance AI-driven learning with opportunities for students to develop "soft skills" like collaboration and critical thinking. Without this balance, students risk missing out on essential interpersonal skills required in clinical environments.

Innovations in AI-Driven Education

One promising example is ATLAS (Authentic Teaching and Learning through Adaptive Simulations), an AI-powered simulation platform developed at Monash University. Led by Dr. Joel Moore and pharmacy educators, including Dr. Angelina Lim and Emily Stokes, ATLAS provides students with real-life scenarios to practice critical thinking and communication.

ATLAS is particularly effective in pharmacy education, where students develop advocacy skills for responsible antibiotic use and manage common infections. This hands-on approach is vital as pharmacist prescribing expands in regions like Victoria, Australia.

Addressing the Gaps

ATLAS aims to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and essential competencies such as teamwork, adaptability, and interpersonal communication. The systematic review emphasizes the urgent need for AI tools that not only support individual learning but also foster collaboration and effective communication among students and patients.

Health professions educators are encouraged to explore AI applications that complement human interaction rather than replace it. Doing so will help maintain a balanced curriculum that supports both technical knowledge and the soft skills necessary for quality healthcare delivery.

Key Takeaways for Educators

• GenAI is widely used in self-directed learning but less so in facilitating group discussion and collaboration.
• There is a need to integrate AI tools that support both individual learning and interpersonal skill development.
• Simulation platforms like ATLAS demonstrate how AI can enhance critical thinking and communication skills.
• Educators must guide students to use AI responsibly to avoid undermining essential human interactions in healthcare.

For educators interested in exploring AI tools for teaching and learning, resources on Complete AI Training offer a range of courses that cover AI applications in education and other fields.