Key Highlights :
University of Miami’s Miller School has launched a dedicated Office of AI in Medical Education.
The initiative aims to integrate ethical and effective AI use into medical training for students and faculty.
Dr. Shirin Shafazand appointed as inaugural faculty director; David Thole leads the technical direction.
Key Background :
The creation of the Office of AI in Medical Education is well-timed, as artificial intelligence is already transforming the health-care industry. From diagnosis and tailored treatment regimes to operational efficiency, AI is transforming the delivery of care. Medical schools across the country are already striving to prepare their students with the education needed to understand, implement, and critically analyze these technologies.
The Miller School has already taken the first step in laying the foundation for AI integration. In 2025, Dr. Shirin Shafazand launched an elective course titled "Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Public Health." The course includes a wide range of AI concepts from natural language processing to machine learning, AI ethics, and prompt engineering. Students also gain hands-on experience with actual AI tools, giving them practical exposure as well as theoretical knowledge.
Further, the school has made research in AI. The previous year, a paper authored by Dr. Shafazand alongside students considered how chatbots reliant on AI approach complex ethical clinical scenarios. The research was published in a prominent scholarly journal and functioned to further emphasize what AI can do as well as its limitations in a health context. The study highlighted the importance of educating medical students on ethical use of AI software.
The administrative side of the school has also embraced AI. Narrative assessment tools used for synthesis and summarization have been used to assist in preparing student evaluation. Such technologies have improved the quality and effectiveness of faculty feedback as well as student assessment processes.
With the establishment of the new office, the school is now well placed to unify these different AI-related endeavors into a comprehensive strategy. Dr. Shafazand will be responsible for curricular integration and student engagements, while David Thole will ensure that technological deployment is efficient, secure, and pedagogically strong.
The future, it intends to develop new pedagogical instruments, sponsor AI-based faculty improvement programs, and examine the influence of AI on instructional outcomes. By emphasizing both technical mastery and moral preparation, the Miller School aims to produce a generation of doctors who are not only accomplished in medicine but also in functioning within the evolving AI landscape.
This initiative is an invaluable step in the future direction of medical education today, readying physicians of tomorrow for a healthcare system where AI is an organic component of the delivery process.
About the Author
Mia Jones
Mia Jones is a Managing Editor at Education Excellence Magazine.