On Thursday 18 June 2026, Elsevier hosted the webinar AI in Health Education: Preparing Students for Real-World Clinical Readiness – bringing together health educators and faculty from English and Spanish-speaking regions to explore one of the most pressing questions in the field today: how do we prepare the next generation of health professionals to practice in a world increasingly shaped by AI?
The webinar featured three panelists – David Game, SVP of Medical Education Partnerships at Elsevier; Dr Philip Xiu, GP and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds; and Dr Ximena Alvira, Clinical and Research Manager at Elsevier – each offering a distinct perspective on the opportunities and responsibilities that AI brings to health education.
During the session, we ran four live poll questions to better understand how faculty members across the globe are currently approaching and perceiving AI in health education. The results painted a revealing picture of a field that recognizes the growing significance of AI, but is still working out how to respond.
What the audience told us
Q1: How is your institution currently approaching AI in health education?
For most institutions, the conversation is happening but formal frameworks are lagging behind.
- Only 29% said they have a formal AI policy in place
- The majority (37%) are still discussing it internally
- 18% said they allow AI but without clear guidelines
- 16% haven’t addressed it yet
Q2: What is your biggest concern about AI in health education?
Educators are most worried about over-reliance on AI and the impact on foundational clinical skills.
- 49% said over-reliance on AI-generated content
- 34% said students never developing foundational clinical skills
- 15% said loss of human connection in clinical training
- Only 2% said widening inequalities in access to AI tools
Q3: Where should AI be introduced in the health sciences curriculum?
There was strong consensus that AI literacy should not be an afterthought and it must be woven into the curriculum from the very beginning.
- The majority (65%) said from day one and integrated throughout the curriculum
- 25% said only in later clinical years
- 10% said it should be introduced as a standalone subject
- Notably, 0% said it should not be taught at all
Q4: Who should be responsible for ensuring students use AI critically and safely?
Respondents placed responsibility firmly with institutions – signaling that educators are looking for systemic, structural solutions rather than leaving individuals to navigate AI on their own.
- 67% said institutions should be responsible, through curriculum design
- 14% said professional regulatory bodies
- 13% said the students themselves
- Only 6% said individual faculty members
Where do we go from here?
Taken together, these insights point to a field at a pivotal moment. The appetite for change is there – faculty overwhelmingly want AI integrated early and taught thoughtfully — but the infrastructure to support that is still being built. For faculty and curriculum leads, the challenge now is moving from internal discussion to concrete action: establishing clear guidelines, designing AI literacy into programs from year one, and ensuring students develop the critical thinking skills to use these tools responsibly.
Elsevier is committed to supporting educators through that transition with evidence-based resources, trusted clinical content, and tools designed to help students engage with AI in ways that strengthen, rather than shortcut, their learning.
Watch the full webinar recording here:
