Month: September 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become buzzwords in academia and healthcare, yet they are often misunderstood or used interchangeably. For university administrators overseeing healthcare education programs, understanding the distinction between these terms — and their specific applications — can be vital to preparing students for a future shaped by adaptive technologies.

This article provides a basic explanation of AI and ML, outlines their differences, and highlights actionable ways these technologies can be incorporated into healthcare education.

Understanding the Difference: AI vs. Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad field of computer science focused on creating systems that can simulate human intelligence. This includes reasoning, learning, problem-solving, perception, and natural language understanding.

Machine learning (ML) is a subset of AI. It involves algorithms that learn patterns from data and improve over time without being explicitly programmed. In other words, all machine learning is AI, but not all AI is machine learning.

A virtual assistant that can schedule appointments, answer medical queries, and adapt its communication style, for example, is a form of AI. The component of the assistant that learns from user behavior to improve its recommendations is the ML aspect of AI.

Applications in Healthcare Education

Integrating AI and ML into healthcare education doesn’t just enhance learning — it prepares students for the digital transformation happening in clinical practice. That’s because, as Dr. Vijaya B. Kolachalama of Boston University School of Medicine put it in a recent paper, “AI frameworks driven by machine learning algorithms have the potential to accelerate the workflow of clinicians and other care providers.”

Here’s how these technologies can be used in healthcare education:

Personalized Learning Pathways (ML-Powered)

Machine learning algorithms can analyze student performance data to identify strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. Adaptive learning platforms use this information to tailor content delivery—ensuring students spend more time on challenging concepts and progress at their own pace.

An intelligent tutoring system might detect that a student struggles with pharmacology and automatically suggest supplemental materials or quizzes in that subject area. Our Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) curriculum incorporates these types of personalized learning pathways.

Virtual Patients and Simulation (AI-Driven)

AI-enabled simulation platforms can create virtual patients with realistic behaviors and evolving symptoms. These tools allow students to practice clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills in a risk-free environment.

A virtual patient might simulate multiple conditions and respond differently based on the student’s diagnostic decisions, offering feedback that mimics real-life outcomes.

Automated Assessment and Feedback (ML-Powered)

Natural language processing (NLP), a branch of AI that includes ML, can evaluate written assignments, clinical notes, or verbal communication for accuracy, empathy, and completeness.

For example, a speech analysis tool might assess how clearly a student delivers an explanation to a patient, offering targeted feedback to improve communication skills.

Curriculum Design and Optimization (AI/ML Combined)

Data from past cohorts, board exam results, and student feedback can be processed through AI systems to optimize curriculum design. Predictive models can forecast student outcomes and help in early intervention strategies.

An ML model might flag students at risk of falling behind based on attendance, grades, and engagement metrics, allowing faculty to intervene early. This is another aspect of AI/ML that we’ve integrated into our MSMS curriculum – early intervention and support are key aspects of ensuring students persevere with their studies.

Clinical Decision Support Training

Medical students can be trained to use AI-powered clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that are increasingly integrated into hospital systems. Exposure to these tools during training builds familiarity and digital literacy.

Case-based learning modules might include CDSS tools that simulate real-world electronic health records (EHRs), helping students learn how to integrate AI insights with clinical judgment.

AI and ML Are Here to Stay in Medical Education

The integration of AI and machine learning into healthcare education is not merely a technological upgrade—it is a strategic imperative. By understanding the distinct roles of AI and ML and embracing their applications, university administrators can ensure their institutions remain at the forefront of educational innovation and clinical readiness.

Empowering tomorrow’s healthcare professionals starts with preparing them for the digital tools they’ll inevitably use – and leveraging the educational technology tools that help us better support them. Now is the time to lead that transformation. Learn how you can partner with Tiber Health to offer an AI/ML-powered MSMS program that equips students for medical and professional health careers.

At Tiber Health, we’re working to help address one of the most pressing problems facing the healthcare industry: the shortage of doctors. According to the most recent workforce projections by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.

These shortages, however, won’t be evenly distributed. Some specialties face deeper deficits than others. Factors driving these shortages vary and can include a higher proportion of specialists near retirement, longer training times, location, and more. This article looks at five medical specialties likely to experience the most severe physician shortages in the coming decades.

Vascular Surgery

Vascular surgeons manage complex conditions involving arteries and veins, including aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, and dialysis access. Recent projections from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) predict that by 2037, there will only be enough vascular surgeons to meet 64% of healthcare demands – the lowest supply-to-demand ratio of all specialties.

The training path is long and highly specialized, and fewer residency and fellowship slots exist compared to demand. Additionally, an unusually large portion of the current vascular surgery workforce is nearing retirement – in a 2022 address to the Society for Vascular Surgery, Dr. Michel Makaroun noted that while 32% of all physicians in the U.S. were 55 and older, 42% of vascular surgeons were in that age bracket.

A shortage of vascular surgeons could result in:

• Limited access to life-saving procedures in urgent situations
• Increased limb amputations from untreated peripheral artery disease
• Delays in elective procedures like endovascular repairs

The shortage of vascular surgeons is particularly dire in rural and underserved areas, where patients often face long travel times and worse outcomes due to delays in care.

Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic surgeons operate on the lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Training takes over a decade, and the specialty faces a dual challenge: high burnout due to the demanding nature of the work and a rapidly aging patient population requiring more surgeries. For example, a 2024 paper in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery found that the number of cardiothoracic surgeons per 100,000 people in the U.S. declined by 12 per cent, and linked this decline to poorer outcomes for lung cancer patients in particular.

A thoracic surgery shortage could lead to:

• Delays in lung cancer resections and other time-sensitive surgeries
• Strain on existing surgical teams in academic and community hospitals
• Lack of availability to life-saving surgery in smaller and rural hospitals

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons estimates that 900 cardiothoracic surgeons will retire by 2035, during which time demand will rise by 20 per cent. This would mean that there would only be enough thoracic surgeons to cover 69 per cent of demand for procedures.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmologists manage everything from cataracts and glaucoma to retinal diseases and eye trauma. With an aging population experiencing higher rates of vision problems, the demand for eye care is outpacing the number of new ophthalmologists entering the field. The HRSA projects that there will only be enough ophthalmologists to meet 68% of demand by 2037.

This might result in:

• Long waits for vision-restoring surgeries like cataract removal
• Delayed diagnosis and treatment of conditions like macular degeneration
• Reduced access in rural or lower-income areas

Over one-third of practicing ophthalmologists are over age 60, and retirements are expected to significantly outpace new graduates in the coming years. In fact, a 2022 article in the Review of Ophthalmology reported that while 550 ophthalmologists were expected to retire each year over the next decade, only 450 new doctors are graduating from residency programs. In the meantime, demand for eye care is projected to rise by 5 per cent per year.

Family Medicine

Family medicine physicians are the cornerstone of primary care, especially in rural and underserved communities. Yet the specialty has struggled to compete with higher-paying and more specialized fields. Many graduates from U.S. medical schools are opting for other paths, while family medicine residency slots go increasingly to international graduates.

A lack of primary care physicians, including family physicians, can mean:

• Delays to or gaps in preventive care and chronic disease management
• Rising use of urgent care and ERs for non-emergent issues
• Physician burnout from high patient volume and administrative burdens

HRSA projections indicate that by 2037, we will only have 73 per cent of the family physicians required to meet care needs.

Geriatrics

Despite the growing population of Americans over 60, geriatrics remains one of the most underrepresented fields in medicine. The specialty tends to attract fewer trainees due to lower compensation and limited visibility in medical education. Geriatricians are uniquely trained to manage the complexities of aging, including dementia, frailty, and polypharmacy.

Without enough geriatricians to care for senior citizens, we could face:

• Poor care coordination for elderly patients with multiple conditions
• Increased hospitalizations and emergency visits due to unmanaged issues
• Heavier reliance on generalists without geriatric-specific expertise

The American Geriatrics Society reports that there are fewer than 7,000 board-certified geriatricians are practicing in the U.S., despite tens of millions of Americans entering their senior years. HRSA projections indicate that by 2037, there will only be enough geriatricians to cover 78 per cent of healthcare needs in this specialty.

Contributing to a Solution to Physician Shortages – in Any Specialty

From complex surgeries to basic primary care, the consequences of physician shortages are far-reaching — delayed diagnoses, worse outcomes, and increased strain on remaining providers. Addressing these shortages requires a multi-layered approach: expanding residency and fellowship opportunities, creating incentives for rural practice, reducing administrative burdens, and investing in workforce development programs.

Your institution can play a role in alleviating these shortages by partnering with Tiber Health to offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences. This innovative pipeline program combines an LCME-accredited medical curriculum with a predictive analytics-powered learning environment that helps talented students develop the skills and confidence they need to successfully apply to medical school. Learn more here.

In a healthcare landscape that’s more collaborative than ever, it’s crucial to ensure that future medical professionals are truly prepared to meet real-world challenges before they graduate. Traditional educational models, which often emphasize lecture-based classes, may not always guarantee that graduates have the clinical reasoning and patient skills they need.

This is where competency-based medical education (CBME) comes in. CBME is a transformative approach to instruction and assessment that’s gaining traction in healthcare education around the globe. A 2024 review of CBME practices in BioMed Central Medical Education found that it is being used in nearly every region of the world, including China, Canada, Turkey, and in multiple West African nations.

What Is Competency-Based Medical Education?

CBME is an outcomes-based instructional approach. It focuses on measuring whether a learner has achieved specific, predefined competencies rather than just completing a set amount of coursework or training hours. In this model, students progress by demonstrating mastery of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are essential for professional practice.

Competencies are often defined by accrediting bodies or professional organizations and can include technical skills (like performing a physical exam), clinical reasoning, communication, professionalism, and teamwork. The goal of CBME is for all learners to reach a high standard of performance on specific skills that show what they can do and be, rather than facts they have memorized.

Why Competency-Based Medical Education Matters

Medical schools have been experimenting with CBME because new physicians are not always ready to perform effectively when they enter the workforce. According to a 2025 paper on CBME in the New England Journal of Medicine, “current evidence suggests that [traditional medical education] has not been effectively preparing learners and that we are at a crisis point that requires a paradigm change.”

CBME aims to ensure that new doctors not only have strong clinical skills, but are well-equipped to work in multidisciplinary teams, handle and analyze information, and more. CBME has the potential to drive better outcomes not just in the classroom, but in the clinic and at the population level. There is also a possibility that CBME could contribute to reduced burnout among physicians: better-prepared, more capable clinicians may feel less overwhelmed in their roles.

What CBME Looks Like in Practice

The first step of CBME is defining the competencies students need to know and describing the acceptable standards for performing those skills. Many medical schools work to align their curricula with competencies outlined by bodies like the AAMC or, in Canada, the CanMEDS framework. Standards often include entrustable professional activities, or EPAs. EPAs, according to Stanford University, are the “every day” tasks that healthcare providers should be able to perform without supervision once competent. For instance, one EPA might be “initiating management for a patient with chest pain.”

The next step involves designing assessments. One option is OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). OSCEs are simulated scenarios which allow students to demonstrate competencies in a controlled setting. OSCEs can use patient mannequins or actors and are often structured as a series of stations presented in a timed circuit. These simulations test critical skills like patient communication, decision-making, and emergency response.

Finally, student performance must be tracked and analyzed. Many programs use e-portfolios to track a learner’s progress through milestones. These tools allow for personalized learning trajectories and help identify areas where additional support or practice is needed. In the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, for example, we deploy a predictive analytics-powered dashboard that shows students and instructors exactly where students stand on specific USMLE topics.

Challenges of CBME

CBME’s main advantage is that it puts students in the center of the learning process and focuses on helping them develop their skills to a high level of quality, rather than in presenting a certain amount of material within a certain amount of time. However, it is difficult to implement CBME well.

This difficulty isn’t the result of a lack of will to use CBME. It’s the fact that adopting it requires a cultural shift in how faculty teach and assess, significant faculty development, and robust systems for tracking and documenting learner progress. These are all heavy lifts for even well-resourced universities.

However, as the authors of the New England Journal of Medicine article note, “maintaining a physician education system that fails to consistently produce competent physicians because change is hard reflects fundamentally flawed logic.”

Put Competency-Based Education to Work for You

Competency-based medical education is a paradigm shift that can ensure learners become truly competent professionals. If you want your institution to take its first steps toward CBME, start by becoming a Tiber Health MSMS university partner.

Our innovative curriculum mirrors the first year of pre-clinical medical education in a competency-based, predictive analytics-powered learning format that empowers students and faculty to succeed. Learn more here.