Medical Education Learning Specialists in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Introduction Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare education by offering innovative solutions to enhance students' learning and skill development. Medical education learning specialists often seek effective strategies to support students in mastering content and improving study habits. This study aimed to investigate learning specialists' perspectives on the impact of AI on their roles and interactions with healthcare education students. Methods The researchers conducted a national online survey with the Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS) Special Interest Group, a community of professionals providing academic support to medical and health professions students. Sixty-one learning specialists from 29 states of the United States participated in the survey. Results Key findings reveal that, despite advances in generative AI, learning specialists agree that their roles in supporting students will remain valuable and irreplaceable. However, they emphasized the need for targeted training to effectively integrate AI into academic support services. Other findings suggest that medical education learning specialists see the significant promise of AI in improving personalization in medical education and student learning experiences. Conclusion As healthcare education evolves, the role of generative AI in enhancing personalized learning and efficient study strategies to address the unique needs of students will continue to grow. AI tools can equip learning specialists with the assistance needed to provide targeted support to students.