Joseph Nano Uncategorized

Most Health Students Want AI in the Classroom—But Many Are Learning It on Social Media, Study Finds

A new four‑country survey of 642 undergraduates in medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, and clinical nutrition finds that while students broadly welcome artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, most haven’t been formally taught how it works. Researchers in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt report that two‑thirds (66.4%) scored low on basic AI knowledge, even as 77.6% want AI integrated into health‑professions curricula.  

Where students are learning now: More than half (54.5%) said they learned about AI outside their courses—most commonly via social media (66%), according to a chart on page 6 summarizing sources of AI knowledge by country.  The same chart shows especially heavy social‑media learning in Egypt (76%) and the UAE (64%).  

Attitudes are upbeat, with a few cautions. Overall, 51.2% held positive attitudes toward AI, and nine in ten viewed AI’s role in healthcare favorably. Still, 43.5% worried AI could erode patient trust, and 18.1% were concerned about its impact on future healthcare jobs. Country differences surfaced: the UAE had the largest share with low knowledge (72.7%), while Egypt had the most students with high overall attitudes (59.1%).    

What’s getting in the way: A bar chart on page 12 highlights the biggest barriers students see to bringing AI into the classroom: lack of expert training (53%), low awareness (50%), and limited interest (41%). Students in the UAE most often flagged missing expert training, while Egyptian students more often cited low awareness and interest.  

Why it matters: AI is already reshaping diagnostics, imaging, and clinical workflows. The authors argue that relying on ad‑hoc learning channels like social media risks fragmented knowledge—and call for structured, expert‑led courseworkand engineering‑medicine collaboration so graduates can use AI safely and effectively.  

The study at a glance

  • Design: Cross‑sectional online survey across four public universities (Jordan, KSA, UAE, Egypt).  
  • Who: 642 students (mostly in years 2–4; nursing was the largest group).  
  • Key numbers: 66.4% low AI knowledge; 54.5% learned outside school (66% via social media); 77.6% support adding AI to curricula; 43.5% worry about patient trust; 18.1% worry about job impact.    
  • Top barriers: Lack of expert training (53%), awareness (50%), interest (41%). See page 12 chart.  

Bottom line for educators and policymakers: Students are eager for AI—but want credible, hands‑on instruction. Building faculty expertise, dedicating curriculum time, and fostering interdisciplinary teaching could move AI training beyond apps and feeds and into safe, patient‑centered practice.  

Source: Issa WB, Shorbagi A, Al‑Sharman A, et al. “Shaping the future: perspectives on the integration of artificial intelligence in health‑profession education: a multi‑country survey,” BMC Medical Education (2024).  

Editor’s note: This article is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.