Global cross-sectional student survey on AI in medical, dental, and veterinary education and practice at 192 faculties
Authors: Busch Felix , Hoffmann Lena , Truhn Daniel , Ortiz-Prado Esteban , Makowski Marcus R. , Bressem Keno K. , Adams Lisa C. ,   COMFORT Consortium, Abdala Nitamar , Navarro Álvaro Aceña , Aerts Hugo J. W. L , Águas Catarina , Aineseder Martina , Alomar Muaed , Angkurawaranon Salita , Angus Zachary G. , Asouchidou Eirini , Bakhshi Sameer , Bamidis Panagiotis D. , Barbosa Paula N. V. P. , Bayramov Nuru Y. , Billis Antonios , Bitencourt Almir G. V. , Becerra Antonio JBollas , Busomoke Fabrice , Capela Andreia , Cau Riccardo , Clements Warren , Corlateanu Alexandru , Cuocolo Renato , Cương Nguyễn N. , Gama Zenewton , de Medeiros Paulo J. , de Velasco Guillermo , Desai Vijay B. , Dhakal Ajaya K. , Dignum Virginia , Domitrz Izabela , Ferrarotti Carlos , Fułek Katarzyna , Ganguly Shuvadeep , García-Juárez Ignacio , Savevska Cvetanka Gjerakaroska , Radovikj Marija Gjerakaroska , Gorelik Natalia , Gorelik Valérie , Gorospe Luis , Griffin Ian , Grzybowski Andrzej , Hering Alessa , Hide Michihiro , Hochhegger Bruno , Hofstaetter Jochen G. , Huseynova Mehriban R. , Iaconi Oana-Simina , Torres Pedro Iturralde , Ivanova Nevena G. , Izquierdo-Condoy Juan S. , Jackson Aidan B. , Jha Ashish K. , Jha Nisha , Jiang Lili , Kader Rawen , Kaul Padma , Kaya Gürsan , Kępczyńska Katarzyna , Kolawole Israel K. , Kolostoumpis George , Koshy Abraham , Kruger Nicholas A. , Loeser Alexander , Lucijanic Marko , Maihoub Stefani , McFadden Sonyia , Avila Maria CMendez , Mihalčin Matúš , Miyake Masahiro , Mogami Roberto , Molnár András , Morakote Wipawee , Ngabonziza Issa , Ngo Trung Q. , Nguyen Thanh T. , Nortje Marc , Palaian Subish , de Almeida Rui PPereira , Perić Barbara , Pilko Gašper , Bates Monserrat LPuntunet , Purwoko Mitayani , Rainey Clare , Ribeiro João C. , Rodriguez-Granillo Gaston A. , Agudelo Nicolás Rozo , Saba Luca , Sadasivan Shine , Sado Keina , Saidman Julia M. , Saturno-Hernandez Pedro J. , Schwarz Gilbert M. , Solis-Barquero Sergio M. , Pérez-Olivares Javier Soto , Sountoulides Petros , Stanzione Arnaldo , Tabakova Nikoleta G. , Takeda Konagi , Tanioka Satoru , Thulesius Hans O. , Toapanta-Yanchapaxi Liz N. , Truong Minh H. , Tuncel Murat , van Dijk Elon H. C. , van Wijngaarden Peter , Xu Lina , Zatoński Tomasz , Zhang Longjiang 
Published: September 2024

Background

The successful integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare depends on the global perspectives of all stakeholders. This study aims to answer the research question: What are the attitudes of medical, dental, and veterinary students towards AI in education and practice, and what are the regional differences in these perceptions?

Methods

An anonymous online survey was developed based on a literature review and expert panel discussions. The survey assessed students' AI knowledge, attitudes towards AI in healthcare, current state of AI education, and preferences for AI teaching. It consisted of 16 multiple-choice items, eight demographic queries, and one free-field comment section. Medical, dental, and veterinary students from various countries were invited to participate via faculty newsletters and courses. The survey measured technological literacy, AI knowledge, current state of AI education, preferences for AI teaching, and attitudes towards AI in healthcare using Likert scales. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc test.

Results

The survey included 4313 medical, 205 dentistry, and 78 veterinary students from 192 faculties and 48 countries. Most participants were from Europe (51.1%), followed by North/South America (23.3%) and Asia (21.3%). Students reported positive attitudes towards AI in healthcare (median: 4, IQR: 3–4) and a desire for more AI teaching (median: 4, IQR: 4–5). However, they had limited AI knowledge (median: 2, IQR: 2–2), lack of AI courses (76.3%), and felt unprepared to use AI in their careers (median: 2, IQR: 1–3). Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences between the Global North and South (r = 0.025 to 0.185, all P < .001) and across continents (r = 0.301 to 0.531, all P < .001), with generally small effect sizes.

Conclusions

This large-scale international survey highlights medical, dental, and veterinary students' positive perceptions of AI in healthcare, their strong desire for AI education, and the current lack of AI teaching in medical curricula worldwide. The study identifies a need for integrating AI education into medical curricula, considering regional differences in perceptions and educational needs.

Trial registration

Not applicable (no clinical trial).