Technology advancements continue to accelerate at a rapid pace – yet the way we train future medical professionals remains long overdue for reform.
The sector as a whole remains too dependent on a one-size-fits-all approach in an age when learners increasingly expect customized and personalized experiences. Unfortunately, the data that could inform an enhanced experience is typically siloed in disparate systems (student and resident management, learning management systems, scheduling, interviewing, etc.) that don’t connect with one another.
Too often today, institutions do not have the tools to proactively identify and intervene where students or residents excel and where they need extra support. Consequently, it’s only when it’s time for in-training exams (ITEs) that we can see students still struggling with foundational concepts. By connecting these systems and ensuring they “talk” with one another, we can more proactively detect when learners may be struggling and help them before it’s too late.
We have to act quickly to innovate, given the troubling shortage of healthcare professionals on the horizon. Experts estimate that we need to double the number of new nursing graduates entering – and staying – in the field through 2025 in order to meet the future demands of an aging population.
Meanwhile, 85 percent of healthcare facilities face an acute shortage of healthcare professionals, and we are on track for an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, both in primary and specialty care. This challenge only continues to grow as the administrative burden – including outdated processes and practices – on medical professionals mounts, driving burnout and driving top talent away from the profession.
The good news is that rapid advancements in technology are pushing us to rethink what’s possible in how we expand and prepare tomorrow’s physicians, nurses, and health practitioners.
By harnessing the power of analytics and machine learning, we gain invaluable insights into student and resident performance and behavior based on each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to tailor educational experiences to their individual needs, providing targeted support and guidance where it’s needed most. From adaptive learning algorithms to real-time feedback mechanisms, the possibilities are endless.
Breaking Down the Challenges
Overcoming any challenge begins with a clear understanding of what we’re solving for. Let’s take note of the key challenges.
One-Size-Fits-All No Longer Works: Think about your average consumer experience today. Whether it’s booking a trip or finding a movie to watch, you’ve likely grown accustomed to picking your own path and selecting from preferences carefully curated based on your history.
However our education system hasn’t kept pace with this trend, failing to adapt learning pathways to the individual student’s ability to learn and grasp different concepts.
Some of us are visual learners, and some prefer lectures – yet learners are typically herded into one environment and expected to learn at the same pace from the same playbook. We increasingly hear talk of the importance of recruiting a diverse workforce yet expect learners to absorb and retain information and new skills in the same way. They don’t.
Siloed Systems: One of the reasons the medical education system has been slow to keep up with the times is due to the disparate nature of the systems used. Some refer to it as “the swivel chair problem” – you find yourself needing to swivel between multiple systems to access the data you need. By connecting next-gen technology into the learning process, we can gain deeper insights into the performance of learners and better tailor curriculum and learning paths to meet their needs.
Test prep systems, residency management systems (RMS), learning management systems (LMS): all too often, these each operate in isolation, effectively closing off any hope of oversight – or drawing any conclusions about how effective the curriculum is or where learners may need support.
Building a More Personalized and Cohesive Experience
But reform is within our grasp. The technology at our fingertips today holds the potential to help us to educate medical professionals faster without compromising the quality of their instruction.
Use emerging tools, including Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. These present an exciting opportunity to complement traditional learning methods rather than replace them entirely. By harnessing the capabilities of VR and AI, we can augment educational experiences with additional services aimed at enriching learning outcomes.
Consider residency programs, for instance. Our focus should be on developing tools that streamline the practical learning process, making it both more efficient and effective. One way leading institutions are achieving this is by leveraging VR technology to create immersive simulations that replicate real-world scenarios encountered in medical practice. These simulations can provide residents with valuable hands-on experience in a controlled environment, helping them hone their skills and decision-making abilities.
Real-time feedback – learning as you go. Moreover, AI can play a crucial role in providing personalized feedback to learners based on their performance in these simulations. By analyzing data generated during the VR training sessions, AI algorithms can identify areas where learners excel and areas where they need improvement. This feedback can then be delivered in real-time, allowing students to immediately address any gaps in their knowledge or skills.
Furthermore, the integration of AI can extend beyond feedback provision to include the development of remediation tools tailored to individual learning needs. These tools can offer targeted resources and exercises designed to reinforce concepts or address specific areas of weakness identified through the VR simulations. By providing remediation tools promptly while the information is still fresh in medical learners’ minds, educators can maximize the effectiveness of the learning process.
Use technology to bring our systems together. Tech will play a pivotal role in bridging the gaps across disparate systems to gain a unified understanding of learner performance. We can take a page from recent experiences in the sector in connecting EMRs with RMSs and other technologies. By connecting systems using APIs to facilitate seamless data exchange, medical education institutions can reduce duplicative effort and the risk of human error. Moreover, residents and attending physicians will be able to spend less time on administrative data entry and more of their valuable time attending to patients.
Today’s learners crave active engagement and hands-on experience. Through integrative learning, we can create dynamic learning environments that prepare them for what they’ll face over their careers. If we embrace new tools, we can dramatically increase the quality of learning environments, diversify the healthcare profession, and ultimately deliver better care in the future.
Transforming medical education is no small feat. It requires collaboration and cooperation across disciplines and sectors. By forging partnerships with industry leaders, technology providers, and healthcare organizations, we can leverage collective expertise and resources to drive meaningful change.

Mike DeSimone
Mike DeSimone is GM at Ascend Learning.