Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar hosted a global conference on the integration of new technologies in medical education. Attendees of the two-day Medical Education Technology Conference(METC), included leading experts from around the world, with many coming from Qatar, Switzerland, the US, and the UK, to explore how emerging technologies, such as AI, VR, and AR, might change medical training.
Indeed, the conference event paid heed on how these tools may contribute to providing health professionals with the most personalized and engaging learning experience ever. In addition to this, the technology versus humanistic medicine formed another subject matter that was discussed during the conference as a means of enquiring into how the training programs for healthcare could evolve to maintain focus on empathy, compassion, and creativity despite the emergence of AI and other technological innovation in the future.
The conference further discussed the impact of emerging technologies on medical ethics and the challenges of ensuring patient privacy, informed consent, and inclusivity in the metaverse. Other features of the conference were two panel discussions, a poster presentation of research projects, Q&A sessions, a series of expert-led presentations, and opportunities for attendees to gain hands-on interactive experiences with technologies such as immersive content creation and VR simulations.
Subjects covered by speakers on the first day of the event included precision education and lifelong learning in medicine, AI and medical ethics in education, designing the next generation of learning delivery systems, medical ethics in the metaverse, and the integration of AI into medical education programs to optimize learning outcomes and clinical training. The second day featured presentations on diversity and inclusion in the metaverse, the intersection between art and medicine, and the role of social determinants of health in the age of AI.
The second day also offered five workshops, which covered strategies for designing inclusive and accessible virtual environments for patients and healthcare professionals, telling stories in 3D virtual environments using cutting-edge digital tools, utilizing technology to enhance empathy among caregivers, how to create immersive 360-degree videos, and developments in AI-based simulation technologies.
One of the many highlights of the event was an artistic performance given by renowned artist and director Abdulaziz Yousef which blended art, AI and virtual reality technology.
The event drew participants from all over the world, with healthcare professionals, educators and students in attendance from Qatar, the wider MENA region, the US, Europe, India and elsewhere.
Speaking at the conclusion of the event, Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, vice dean for academic and curricular affairs said: “This is a truly exciting time in medicine and medical education as cutting-edge technologies like AI, VR and AR are already revolutionizing the way medicine is practiced, taught and experienced. This conference was a fantastic way to explore how these new technologies can best be implemented to enhance medical education and patient care while simultaneously protecting the rights and safety of patients.”
Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, said: “This conference has done a marvelous job of placing new technologies within the context of the humanistic art and science of medicine. Our guiding principle at WCM-Q is to promote the use of emergent technologies to advance world-class healthcare, while also ensuring that the foundational caregiving attributes of compassion, empathy, humility and responsibility to one’s patients are preserved and enhanced by these new developments.”
The conference was accredited both locally and internationally. It was accredited through the Accreditation Section of Qatar's Ministry of Public Health's Department of Healthcare Professions as well as by international accrediting body, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, ACCME.
