Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: A Cross-Sectional Study of Awareness, Perceptions, and Adoption Barriers among Undergraduate Medical Students in India
Jun 2026· International Journal of Health Sciences and Research· pp. 256· 0 citations· 7 references
TL;DR
Indian medical students show positive attitudes toward AI but lack deep technical familiarity, so structured curricular integration focusing on foundational AI competencies is essential for preparing future physicians.
Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising healthcare, but its integration into Indian undergraduate medical curricula remains nascent. Understanding student perspectives is critical for effective pedagogical reform.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess AI awareness and knowledge, evaluate perceptions toward its integration in medical education, and identify perceived barriers to adoption among undergraduate medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted (January-March 2026) among 324 MBBS students (2nd to final year) at an Indian medical college. A structured, pre-validated questionnaire was used to evaluate awareness, usage patterns, perceptions, and barriers (5-point Likert scale). Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for the statistical analysis, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Participants (mean age 22.71 ± 1.59 years; 55.6% male) reported 77.5% prior AI exposure, though only 12.04% claimed high familiarity. AI chatbots were the primary tools used (92.3%). Students demonstrated favourable perceptions regarding AI’s utility in clinical decision-making and learning while largely rejecting the notion that it would replace educators. Key barriers included data privacy concerns and output reliability. Prior AI exposure significantly correlated with positive perceptions (x² = 11.948, p = 0.018). Most students advocated for formal AI training and ethical guidelines within the medical curriculum.
Conclusion: Indian medical students show positive attitudes toward AI but lack deep technical familiarity. To address ethical and infrastructural barriers, structured curricular integration focusing on foundational AI competencies is essential for preparing future physicians.
Key words: Artificial intelligence, medical education, students, attitude, technology adoption
Undergraduate medical students show moderate awareness of AI in healthcare but lack formal training and in-depth understanding, highlighting the need for structured AI education within medical curricula and further research on its long-term impact.
Sonali Sharma, Smriti Kayat, N. Saboo et al.· Nigerian Medical Journal· 0 citations
Saudi medical students express strong interest in GenAI—particularly for basic sciences and simulation—but perceive it as complementary rather than superior to human instruction, reflecting learner perceptions.
F. Aljamaan, M. F. Mubarak, I. Altamimi et al.· Health Science Reports· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most rapidly evolving technologies in recent years and is increasingly being integrated into healthcare, education, and everyday life. Examining university students' attitudes toward this technology is important for understanding their future professional orientations and adaptation to technological change. This study aimed to identify medical students' attitudes toward artificial intelligence and the determinants of these attitudes, and to develop educational implications for medical training based on the findings.
METHODOLOGY
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January 22 and May 28, 2025, among 198 final-year medical students at Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine in Denizli, Türkiye. Data were collected using a Descriptive Information Form, which assessed students' sociodemographic characteristics and their knowledge and experiences regarding AI, and the General Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS, Turkish version). Since the negative subscale is reverse-coded, higher scores in both indicate more positive attitudes toward AI. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25 with descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and multiple linear regression analyses.
RESULTS
The mean age of participants was 24.47 ± 0.98 years; 56.1% were female. A total of 74.2% of the participants reported general knowledge about AI, and 76.3% reported experience using AI in daily life. A total of 63.1% viewed AI developments positively, 69.7% believed AI changes work and daily life, and 52.0% felt emotionally unaffected by it. The mean positive attitude score was 45.01 ± 9.17, and the negative attitude score was 26.41 ± 6.22. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence were significantly associated with father's education level (university vs. primary school), having an interest in technology, perceptions regarding developments in artificial intelligence, and the belief that AI has an emotional impact (p < 0.05). For the negative attitude subscale, only perceptions regarding developments in artificial intelligence were found to be significantly associated (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Medical students demonstrated generally positive attitudes toward AI. Higher paternal education, technological interest, perceiving AI as emotionally influential, and evaluating AI developments positively were predictors of favorable attitudes. In addition, more positive evaluations of AI-related developments were also associated with higher scores on the reverse-coded negative attitude subscale, indicating lower negative attitudes toward AI. These findings suggest that students' attitudes toward AI are shaped not only by technological interest but also by perceptual factors related to AI. Therefore, integrating clinically oriented AI content and awareness-building activities into medical education may support the development of more balanced and informed attitudes toward AI.
Batuhan Horasan, A. Ergin, Eda Şenarabacı· BMC Medical Education· 0 citations
Introduction: Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought significant transformations to healthcare systems and medical education. Medical sciences students' awareness and attitudes toward AI play a crucial role in its acceptance and effective use. This study aimed to assess the level of AI awareness and attitudes among students at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran, and examine related demographic factors.
Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 with 500 undergraduate and general medicine (MD) students from multiple faculties. Data were collected using a researcher-developed and standardized questionnaire covering demographics, AI-related awareness, attitudes, and concerns. Content validity was confirmed by 10 experts (CVI = 0.89), and reliability was verified (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83). Data analysis was performed with chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA.
Results: Among participants, 62% were female and 90% were under 25 years old. The highest awareness and most positive attitudes were found among medical and midwifery students, while emergency medical services and operating room students showed the lowest levels (P < 0.05). Mean awareness and attitude scores were significantly higher in females than males (P < 0.05), with no significant differences across age groups. Concerns about job displacement due to AI were also prominent.
Conclusion: Although students showed positive attitudes toward AI, their conceptual and practical awareness was moderate. Integrating structured educational programs focusing on practical and ethical aspects of AI into the medical curriculum is essential.
Rastegar Ghavi Z, Najaryan N, Cheraghi Nik A et al.· Journal of Medical Education...· 0 citations
Healthcare students had unsatisfactory awareness of AI, and their overall attitude was negative, highlighting an urgent need for an integrated AI curriculum tailored to their actual needs.
Waghachavare Vivek B., Dhobale Randhir V., Gore Alka D. et al.· International journal of com...· 0 citations
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology in healthcare, offering significant opportunities to improve clinical decision-making, patient care, and healthcare efficiency. As AI applications continue to expand across healthcare settings, nursing students must develop adequate awareness and readiness to effectively utilize these technologies in future professional practice.
Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of awareness and readiness toward artificial intelligence among nursing students and to identify the factors associated with AI readiness.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 396 nursing students at Riyadh Elm University, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, the Artificial Intelligence Awareness Scale, and the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were performed using SPSS version 27. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Nursing students demonstrated a moderate level of AI awareness (mean = 3.43 ± 0.44, 68.57%) and a high level of AI readiness (mean = 3.93 ± 0.45, 78.52%). Significant differences in AI awareness were observed according to academic level and self-rated computer skills. AI readiness was significantly associated with age, academic level, previous use of AI-related tools, and self-rated computer skills. A strong positive correlation was found between AI awareness and AI readiness (r = 0.685, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis identified AI awareness as the strongest independent predictor of AI readiness (B = 0.681, p < 0.001), with the model explaining 56.9% of the variance in AI readiness (R² = 0.569).
Conclusion: Nursing students demonstrated positive readiness toward artificial intelligence despite having only moderate awareness. Integrating AI-related education, practical training, and digital competency development into undergraduate nursing curricula may enhance students' awareness and strengthen their readiness to effectively utilize AI technologies in future nursing practice.
Saada Taktikh Alshammary, Fatimah Salman Zoghbi, D. Alanazi et al.· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations