AI to be included in medical students’ curriculum
Medical students at Örebro University are already receiving an introductory lecture on AI – and soon there will be more on the schedule. “It’s important to understand the opportunities and risks of AI,” says Marcus Krantz.
Swedish medical students need to learn more about artificial intelligence. For the first time, a proposed curriculum has been developed for integrating AI into medical education. “This is a milestone,” says Marcus Krantz, systems biologist at Örebro University and one of the researchers responsible for the new curriculum.
Marcus Krantz is a researcher in the X-Hide project at Örebro University and, together with Johan Sundström, cardiologist and professor at Uppsala University, has led the working group that designed the curriculum. The work is funded by WASP-ED, an educational development programme run by the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.
Teamwork behind the curriculum
The curriculum has been developed by a broad working group of AI experts, doctors, lawyers and educational developers. Contributors from Örebro University, Uppsala University, the Swedish Medical Products Agency and Epiroc have contributed.
“The curriculum is truly the result of teamwork. This would never have been possible without combining different skills and perspectives,” says Marcus Krantz.
Sixteen digital modules – for students and professionals
AI teaching is divided into four levels: introduction, theory, application and in-depth study. A total of sixteen modules will be created and made available online. The plan is for Sweden’s various medical programmes to use the modules in a way that suits their approach.
“We recommend combining the digital modules with student-active teaching such as seminars, labs, case discussions and base group cases,” says Marcus Krantz.
The hope is that practising doctors will also be able to take part in the training. AI is already used in healthcare, but developments are rapid and require new knowledge. Marcus Krantz explains:
“As a doctor, you need to understand both the opportunities and challenges – how the models are trained, the risks of bias and ethical issues. The ability to critically discuss the results of AI models is crucial.”
Work already underway
Work is already underway to create the sixteen training modules and implement them in the programme. Marcus Krantz has recently taken on a new role as an AI developer at the School of Medical Sciences.
“The curriculum is an important start, but now the extensive work of building content and ensuring that it’s used in practice remains. We’ve developed a plan for what needs to be done – and now we also have the conditions to take the next step,” says Marcus Krantz.
Integration of AI into the medical programme:
The project is a collaboration between researchers, AI experts, doctors and educational developers from Örebro University, Uppsala University, Epiroc and the Swedish Medical Products Agency. It is funded by WASP-ED, an educational development programme run by the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation. WASP-ED is part of ARC, the AI, Robotics and Cybersecurity Center at Örebro University. Life science and health is one of ARC’s key areas of application and societal challenges, with links to research in AI, robotics and cybersecurity.
The proposed curriculum for AI in medical education introduces medical students to AI through four levels: introduction, theory, application, and advanced study – delivered via 16 online modules. Topics range from the history of AI, data and bias, and basic machine learning, to deep learning, clinical applications, quality evaluation, and ethical and societal impacts. The aim is to equip future doctors with both a technical understanding and the ability to critically assess AI in healthcare practice.
Text: Anna Lorentzon
Photo: Emelie Skogum, Anna Lorentzon
Translation: Jerry Gray