By: Josh Baxt | June 18, 2025 | 8 minutes. read |
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- Miami Miller University School of Medicine recently added Artificial Intelligence (AI) electives to its MD/MPH total program.
- This course provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of AI on medical and medical research.
- “Introduction to AI in Medicine and Public Health” includes an explanation of core AI concepts, such as machine learning and natural language processing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising technology that has already had a major impact on drugs. Advanced AI algorithms are used to summarise cancer detection, taking notes during patient visits, and the latest medical literature.
To help students keep up with this rapidly evolving tool, Miami Miller University School of Medicine recently added AI electives to its MD/MPH combined program. The course, “Introduction to AI in Medicine and Public Health,” comprehensively looks at the possibilities and limitations of AI.
“When you look at what's going on with AI, especially since the onslaught of generative AI, especially the large-scale language model, it really explodes into people's consciousness,” says Shirin Shafazand (MD), professor of medicine at MILRER SCHOOL's MD/MPH program and director of the MD/MPH program. “We need to ensure that students have the right skills to use AI and understand what these tools actually do.”
AI for the drug course
Dr. Shafazand designed the course to provide MD/MPH students and faculty with better information to effectively use AI and understand how it works inside. This course introduces students to many AI concepts, including:
•Machine learning (supports medical predictions and prognostic models)
Deep learning (a type of machine learning)
Neural Networks (AI inspired by the human brain)
Natural Language Processing (enables computers to “read” and understand human language and generate appropriate responses)
Prompt Engineering (design AI queries to get the best response)
This class jumps into ethics, cybersecurity, government regulations and more. Students learned from academia and industry experts at the forefront of AI innovation. To conclude, students were asked to complete the project, including developing their own AI agents. This is a tool that allows you to perform certain tasks without human intervention.
“Students came up with a really cool AI agent,” Dr. Shafazand said. “Some were very practical and reflected their interests at this stage of their career. Many focused on improving patient education and medical knowledge. It was good to see how students were thinking.”
The future of AI and medicine
For many students, the class was more than gathering knowledge. It was an ethical order.
“AI will only be further integrated into society and our practice, and I feel that my responsibility as a future physician is to be a future physician, to preempt the curve and to look at the landscape and understand the ethical meaning.
This class provided a unique opportunity to see under the AI hood. They all heard of these tools and perhaps dabbled in ChatGpt, but this deep dive was eye-opening.
Chase Dellon, who is also part of the 2026 class, said he “don't know how information is stored or how the data was used.”
Use technology on behalf of patients
While patient data protection has always been a top priority, creating privacy-compliant AI tools is no easy task. AI may seem very smart, but the algorithms lack intuition and can make mistakes. For example, AI has problems distinguishing between phone numbers and social security numbers, which are privacy nightmares.
Still, this technology offers many benefits and it makes sense that medicine and industry do heavy lifting to overcome these barriers. AI-powered note-taking apps can automate electronic health record entries, increasing the ability to interact with patients.
“In MD '04, UHEALTH Chief Medical Information Officer at Maritzasuarez was one of the guest speakers, transcribing and summarizing the conversation, demonstrating the ambient scribs living in the class.”
In addition to hearing about the internal mechanisms of AI and its potential drawbacks, students have learned better ways to use technology. Fast engineering was a particularly popular session.
“Rapid engineering can be a very useful tool for automating tasks and getting more streamlined results,” Pedowitz said. “It's something I will definitely use to practice for residency interviews in the near future and clarify my thoughts. Later, it really helps in patient care as my classmates have already demonstrated in their projects.”
Students came out of class, felt empowered and prophesied. They know that AI is the future, but it should also be treated with great care.
“AI cannot replace human judgment with AI,” said Dr. Shafazand. “There must be a significant assessment that is always there. That's what I want to be an important point for MD/MPH students. Ask questions and look at the implementation of AI from all angles. How will it affect society, patients, healthcare systems and costs?
tag: AI, Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Medical Education, Dr. ShirinShafazand, MD/MPH, Medical Education, Medical Students, Technology
