Transforming thyroid disease education: AI and virtual technologies in residency training

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Medical Education
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy.
• Traditional residency training for thyroid specialists has limitations in standardized clinical exposure, patient safety, and skill assessment.
• There is a need for innovative training methods to cultivate competent thyroid specialists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the applications, benefits, challenges, and future directions of AI and VR in thyroid disease-focused residency training.
• To review the current literature on AI and VR in endocrine surgery education.
• To identify opportunities for integrating advanced technologies into thyroid specialist training.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of literature was conducted.
• Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.
• 42 eligible studies published between 2015 and 2025 were identified and analyzed.

Main Results:

• AI systems offer objective assessment of ultrasound skills, improve nodule diagnosis, and support personalized learning.
• VR simulations provide risk-free surgical practice (e.g., thyroidectomy) with AI analytics for skill evaluation.
• Challenges include ethical concerns, technical limitations, cost, and integration issues.

Conclusions:

• AI and VR are valuable adjuncts to traditional thyroid residency training.
• These technologies can help cultivate specialists with strong clinical skills and humanistic care.
• Future development requires a human-centered approach focusing on technological advancement and curriculum integration.