Expert Consensus on Artificial Intelligence Proficiency for Medical Educators (2025 Edition)

Medical schools have long trained doctors to listen to patients, examine their bodies, and weigh evidence to make life-or-death decisions. Now, a new force is entering the classroom: artificial intelligence. This technology, which can process vast amounts of information to find patterns or generate text, is reshaping how medicine is practiced. But for the teachers who guide future physicians, this shift brings a unique challenge. They must learn not just to use these tools, but to weave them into the delicate fabric of medical education without losing the human connection that defines the profession. The question is no longer whether to use artificial intelligence, but how to teach it responsibly, safely, and effectively.

In response to this evolving landscape, a group of sixty experts from across China's medical and academic communities has come together to define what a modern medical teacher needs to know. Published in late 2026, their work is a consensus statement, a formal agreement reached after careful study and discussion, that outlines a clear path forward. The researchers did not simply guess at the answers; they began by reviewing dozens of existing studies on how teachers interact with technology. They then gathered a diverse panel of specialists, including senior professors, clinicians, and experts in educational technology, to debate and refine a list of essential skills. Using a structured method where experts rated the importance of each skill over two rounds, the group distilled a complex set of ideas into a single, practical framework.

The result is a guide that breaks down "artificial intelligence literacy" for medical educators into five distinct areas. The first area focuses on values and ethics. Before a teacher picks up a digital tool, they must understand the moral weight of using it. This means recognizing that artificial intelligence can sometimes make mistakes, that it might treat different groups of people unfairly if the data it learned from was biased, and that patient privacy must be protected above all else. The experts agree that teachers need to be able to spot these risks and explain them to students, ensuring that the technology serves humanity rather than replacing human judgment.

The second area covers the technical side. Teachers do not need to be computer programmers, but they must understand the basics of how these systems work. They need to know how to find the right tools for a specific lesson, how to check if a tool is safe to use with student or patient data, and how to use artificial intelligence to help organize research or analyze information. This is not about memorizing code, but about having enough knowledge to choose the right instrument for the job and to use it without compromising security.

The third dimension moves into the classroom itself. Here, the framework describes how teachers can redesign their lessons to include these tools. Imagine a teacher using a virtual simulation to let students practice a difficult surgery without risk, or using an intelligent system to create personalized reading lists for students who are struggling with a specific concept. The goal is to create a learning environment where the teacher and the technology work together, with the teacher guiding the conversation and the artificial intelligence handling the heavy lifting of information retrieval or practice scenarios.

The fourth area deals with how students are evaluated. In the past, teachers might have graded a student based on a single exam. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, teachers can track a student's progress in real time, spotting exactly where they are getting stuck and offering help before they fall behind. The framework suggests that teachers should learn to read these digital reports and use them to adjust their teaching, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to master complex medical concepts.

Finally, the fifth area looks at the bigger picture. Teaching in the age of artificial intelligence is not a solitary activity; it requires building a community. Teachers are encouraged to share their successes and failures with colleagues, collaborate with engineers and ethicists to build better tools, and stay curious about new developments. The experts emphasize that this is a continuous journey of learning, where the best educators are those who remain open to change and willing to help build a culture where technology and human wisdom grow together.

To make this framework usable for everyone, the researchers divided the twenty-five specific skills into two groups. Eleven of these are considered foundational, meaning every medical teacher, regardless of their specialty or experience level, should possess them. These include the basics of ethics, data safety, and understanding how to use common tools. The remaining fourteen are developmental skills, intended for teachers who wish to go deeper, lead innovation, or specialize in creating new ways to teach with technology. This distinction ensures that the standards are high enough to guarantee safety and quality, while still allowing room for teachers to grow at their own pace.

The paper makes it clear that this is not a rigid set of rules to be followed blindly, but a living guide meant to be adapted. The authors acknowledge that technology moves faster than any single document can capture, so they recommend that institutions use this framework as a starting point for their own training programs. They suggest that schools assess their teachers' current skills, provide targeted support to fill the gaps, and create an environment where trying new things is encouraged. The ultimate goal is to produce a generation of doctors who are not only skilled in medicine but also wise in their use of technology, capable of harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve patient care while preserving the essential human elements of healing.

This work represents a significant step in aligning medical education with the realities of the twenty-first century. By defining what teachers need to know and providing a clear structure for how to learn it, the consensus offers a roadmap for navigating the complex intersection of medicine, education, and technology. It is a reminder that while the tools may change, the mission remains the same: to prepare compassionate, competent healers for the future.