Academic Training and Technological Innovations: How Medical Students Envision the Transformation of Contemporary Medical Practice

Abstract

This investigation evaluates the perceptions of medical students from the Multicampi School of Medical Sciences of Rio Grande do Norte (EMCM/UFRN/Brazil) concerning the integration of innovative technologies into medical practice. This study addresses a significant gap in existing literature regarding the educational preparedness of future medical professionals. Diverging from previous research that predominantly underscored technical and clinical dimensions, this study prioritizes comprehending students' attitudes towards embedding these technologies within both their educational framework and clinical practice. Adopting a descriptive and exploratory methodology, interviews were conducted with 83 students slated for enrollment in 2024. The findings disclose that 63.8% of the students consider their knowledge of innovative technologies as limited. Meanwhile, 92.8% of the students acknowledge the considerable potential of these tools in enhancing the quality of medical care. Technologies identified as especially promising include artificial intelligence (79.5%), augmented reality (59%), and telemedicine (56.6%). However, ethical and privacy concerns emerged as prevalent issues, cited by 68.3% of participants, alongside apprehensions regarding the potential diminishment of health professionals' roles (54.9%). Moreover, 77.1% of participants highlighted the prohibitive costs associated with these technologies as a significant impediment, whereas 54.2% identified insufficient training as a barrier to their adoption. In conclusion, the study underscores that despite favorable perceptions, there exists an imperative to enhance medical curricula by incorporating modules dedicated to emerging technologies.