Data Science as a Core Competency in Undergraduate Medical Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED The increasingly sophisticated application of AI and data science in medicine is transforming how healthcare is delivered, highlighting a need for current and future physicians to develop basic competency in this topic. Medical educators must consider how to incorporate central concepts in data science into their core curricula to train physicians of the future. Similar to how the advent of diagnostic imaging required the physician to understand, interpret, and explain the relevant results to patients, physicians of the future should be able to explain to patients the benefits and limitations of management plans guided by data science. We outline major content domains and associated learning outcomes in data science applicable to medical student curricula, suggest ways to incorporate these themes into existing curricula, and note potential implementation barriers and solutions to optimize integration of this content.