Nearly three quarters of medical and dental students surveyed at Queen Mary University of London felt artificial intelligence was inadequately integrated into their curriculum.
The mixed-methods study, which I helped conduct, involved 86 survey respondents and student focus groups. It found that 73.3% considered curriculum integration inadequate, while 76.7% wanted structured teaching on artificial intelligence (AI).
Respondents were enthusiastic about the technology. Some 86.1% believed AI would be important to their future professional practice. However, 65.1% reported a lack of formal training.
It raises an important question, though, are students being taught to assess AI-generated information critically, or simply becoming familiar with how to use it?
The issue has also reached the regulatory agenda. Separate research commissioned by the General Dental Council reviewed 75 studies and reports and included interviews with dental students, recent graduates and academics. It called for clear rules on acceptable AI use and structured teaching that prepares students to check outputs, recognise uncertainty and remain accountable for their decisions.
