Podcast: Can Tech Train Future Doctors? Simulation and AI in Medical Education 

Cutting-edge capabilities are rapidly changing medical education. Students are no longer interested in absorbing endless hours of lectures in a classroom. They want to learn by doing.

At the helm of this new era of medical training is Barry Issenberg, M.D., director of the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation. Raised in the world of technology and simulation, Dr. Issenberg is bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application to prepare future health care professionals for real-world patient care. 

“When you’re studying cardiology and basic anatomy, if you could combine learning about the aortic valve with hearing what the aortic valve actually sounds like when it closes, it provides a context for student to understand otherwise abstract concepts,” said Issenberg on the latest episode of “Inside U Miami Medicine.”

Simulation gives trainees the opportunity to practice clinical skills in high-stake scenarios, but without actual patients at risk. They can strap on augmented reality (AR) glasses and learn how to insert a central line, a basic but risky procedure that can have potentially lethal complications. Or they can fumble through a cardiac exam, feeling a mannequin’s chest heave under their palm, and perform the test over and over until they are confident in their abilities. This training helps prevent errors and improve patient care when the trainee steps into a real clinical scenario.

“Now, the backbone of all education is innovation and technology,” said Issenberg, who is also the Michael S. Gordon Chair of Medical Education and senior associate dean for research in medical education at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Simulation allows so many possibilities in terms of improving education and training and prototyping new technologies that eventually will be applied to patient care.” 

Listen to the latest “Inside U Miami Medicine” episode – “Can tech train future doctors? Simulation and AI in medical education” – with Dr. Issenberg on any podcast platform (or click here to listen on Apple podcasts) to hear more about the future of simulation in medical education. 

Tags: Dean Henri Ford, Dr. Barry Issenberg, Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation, Inside U Miami Medicine, medical education