Exploring Filipino Medical Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: A Mixed-Methods Study

<ns3:p>Artificial intelligence (AI) has many implications on the practice of medicine, especially for current medical students who have to consider the impact of AI on the information available to patients and ethical aspects of rendering healthcare as a whole. With the fast pace of development in AI in healthcare, medical educators struggle to incorporate AI in the curriculum. The current generation of medical students will likely be the first to use AI tools in their practice, hence this study aims to investigate the current perceptions of medical students on the role of AI in medical education and the practice of medicine using a mixed methods parallel convergent design. The findings revealed that medical students had a baseline understanding of AI and its role in medicine, but required further training for its practical and ethical use. Moreover, the impact of AI in terms of their future practice in medicine (i.e., choice of specialization, doctor-patient relationship) was evident and must be considered by educators in order to promote responsible use of AI by physicians-in-training. In conclusion, findings from this study helped identify key areas of focus for integration into the medical curriculum related to the ethical use of AI in both education and clinical practice.</ns3:p>