Understanding Time Availability and Format Preferences for AI Professional Development in Health Professions...

As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare and health professions education, educators require training that supports AI literacy, responsible use, and practical application. Professional development opportunities must be practical, feasible, and aligned with educators' professional responsibilities and time constraints. This study examined health professions educators' preferences for AI training, including priority topics, preferred formats, time availability, and incentives for participation. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an anonymous REDCap questionnaire between August and November 2025. Clinician educators were recruited through academic and professional networks affiliated with the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise survey responses. Among 175 participants, most were faculty (n = 161, 92.0%) with educational responsibilities (n = 154, 88.0%), and more than half had no formal AI training (n = 100, 57.1%). Participants prioritised practical training, including real-world AI examples (n = 147, 84.0%), curriculum-integrated projects (n = 127, 72.6%), and evaluating AI-generated output. Preferences differed significantly across topics, training formats, and incentives (all p < .001). Most participants preferred 30 minutes to 1 hour of training per week (n = 82, 46.9%), with short on-demand videos (n = 123, 70.3%) and in-person sessions (n = 100, 57.1%) as the leading formats. The strongest incentive for participation was the opportunity to apply AI skills in real projects (n = 107, 61.1%). Health professions educators preferred AI training that is practical, flexible, and directly relevant to their work. Findings suggest that AI professional development should emphasise applied use, ethical and responsible practice, critical evaluation, and field-specific examples through concise, accessible, and institutionally supported formats.