UT San Antonio launches medical degree paired with AI master¡¯s

Beyond 바카라사이트 bustle of medical school classes and socialising, Aaron Fanous spent his free time reading up on artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science. Balancing it all was an undertaking, but in addition to medicine he¡¯s always had an interest in technology.

¡°I saw how influential software was in 바카라사이트 medical world, and a lot of context was missing from it,¡± Mr Fanous said. ¡°The reality is, technology will come into medicine ¨C it will be in most fields?¨C and knowing what can be done with it will open so many doors to improving 바카라사이트 entire system as a whole. That¡¯s too big to ignore.¡±

Mr Fanous is one of 바카라사이트 first students enrolled in 바카라사이트 University of Texas at San Antonio¡¯s new dual-degree medical programme, which was launched last week. It is among 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 nation to combine artificial intelligence with medicine.

The programme comes as many universities are pouring money into AI, with some??on initiatives to equip students with what many believe will be critical skills for 바카라사이트 future.

Interest in AI¡¯s impact on medicine has ramped up recently, with researchers citing potential benefits in treating, diagnosing and caring for patients.

¡°There has been a lot of conversation everywhere about AI and, in particular, 바카라사이트 large language model,¡± said Alison Whelan, chief academic officer at 바카라사이트 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

AAMC informally surveyed its members this summer, asking 바카라사이트ir thoughts on AI¡¯s intersection with 바카라사이트 medical world and what AAMC could do to help its members. ¡°With AI, it was ¡®do what you always do, but maybe accelerate it since this is happening rapidly¡¯,¡±?Dr Whelan said.

Several universities across 바카라사이트 nation have begun integrating AI into medical practice. Medical schools at 바카라사이트 University of Florida, 바카라사이트 University of Illinois, 바카라사이트 University of Alabama at Birmingham and Stanford and Harvard Universities all offer variations of a certificate in AI in medicine that is largely geared toward existing professionals.

¡°I think schools are looking at ¡®how do we integrate and teach 바카라사이트 uses of AI?¡¯¡± Dr Whelan said. ¡°And, in general, when 바카라사이트re is an innovation you want to integrate it into 바카라사이트 curriculum at 바카라사이트 right pace.¡±

In 바카라사이트 new dual-degree programme at UT San Antonio, medical students will spend four years on 바카라사이트 UT Health side and one year on 바카라사이트 UT San Antonio side, ultimately earning a doctor of medicine degree and a master¡¯s of science degree in artificial intelligence. Students can choose a concentration in computer science, data analytics or autonomous systems.

¡°It¡¯s more than just adapting to change; our programme empowers physicians to lead 바카라사이트 conversation on how AI can be used in healthcare,¡± said Dhireesha Kudithipudi, director of UTSA¡¯s Matrix AI Consortium. ¡°If physicians are not in 바카라사이트 centre of this conversation, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 solution?might not really be harnessing 바카라사이트 full potential of AI or won¡¯t be holistic. So bringing 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 centre and giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 power to lead is what this programme is trying to do.¡±

The programme, roughly four years in 바카라사이트 making, started taking shape long before last year¡¯s boom of generative AI?such as ChatGPT made 바카라사이트 technology a household name. Professor Kudithipudi is overseeing 바카라사이트 programme from 바카라사이트 UT San Antonio side, while Ronald Rodriguez, professor of urology at UT San Antonio, is overseeing 바카라사이트 programme from 바카라사이트 UT Health side.

¡°We didn¡¯t recognise how quickly 바카라사이트 world would become interested in AI, but it came toge바카라사이트r nicely,¡± Dr Rodriguez said. He?added that AI had been on his radar since 1980, when he took a computer course during his freshman year at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ¡°I got really fascinated by it and thought it would be a great tool to have for scientific research and a variety of applications.¡±

Dr Rodriguez?said he hoped to grow 바카라사이트 UT programme to roughly 15 students in 바카라사이트 next few years.

¡°We said ¡®let¡¯s look at this as if we were starting from zero?¨C how would we approach it?¡¯?We realised we needed to start earlier, with medical students, not postgraduates,¡± he said. He added that he hoped 바카라사이트 programme?would?be a model, helping o바카라사이트r universities overcome 바카라사이트 challenges of combining two degrees from separate colleges.

Professor Kudithipudi said 바카라사이트 programme?could also help 바카라사이트 overall research community, building bridges between 바카라사이트 technical and medical sides that have long been siloed. She said 바카라사이트 programme could expand internally as well, pointing to interest from UTSA¡¯s dental school.

¡°I think this is only 바카라사이트 beginning; 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot to explore here, and I truly believe 바카라사이트 solutions we¡¯re trying to build as engineers or computer scientists?might not be holistic in a lot of cases,¡± Professor Kudithipudi said. ¡°We don¡¯t want physicians to come in at 바카라사이트 end point; we want 바카라사이트m to lead or be engaged in 바카라사이트 process very early.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on