Beyond Chatbots: Moving Toward Multistep Modular AI Agents in Medical Education

The integration of large language models into medical education has significantly increased, providing valuable assistance in single-turn, isolated educational tasks. However, their utility remains limited in complex, iterative instructional workflows characteristic of clinical education. Single-prompt AI chatbots lack the necessary contextual awareness and iterative capability required for nuanced educational tasks. This Viewpoint paper argues for a shift from conventional chatbot paradigms toward a modular, multistep artificial intelligence (AI) agent framework that aligns closely with the pedagogical needs of medical educators. We propose a modular framework composed of specialized AI agents, each responsible for distinct instructional subtasks. Furthermore, these agents operate within clearly defined boundaries and are equipped with tools and resources to accomplish their tasks and ensure pedagogical continuity and coherence. Specialized agents enhance accuracy by using models optimally tailored to specific cognitive tasks, increasing the quality of outputs compared to single-model workflows. Using a clinical scenario design as an illustrative example, we demonstrate how task specialization, iterative feedback, and tool integration in an agent-based pipeline can mirror expert-driven educational processes. The framework maintains a human-in-the-loop structure, with educators reviewing and refining each output before progression, ensuring pedagogical integrity, flexibility, and transparency. Our proposed shift toward modular AI agents offers significant promise for enhancing educational workflows by delegating routine tasks to specialized systems. We encourage educators to explore how these emerging AI ecosystems could transform medical education.