Artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech experts, it’s reshaping the way we teach and learn in medicine. But what does that mean for clinical educators in the NHS?

In this episode, we hear from Prof. Gerald Lip, radiologist and Faculty Lead for AI, and Charles Moore, consultant anaesthetist and Undergraduate Clinical Digital Lead. Together, they explore how AI and digital tools can support teaching, reduce workload, and prepare students for the realities of modern healthcare.

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What AI Really Means for Educators

AI is best understood as a tool to support, not replace, educators. From generating chest X-ray teaching sets to helping structure exam questions, AI can scale teaching to meet growing student numbers. Instead of replacing expertise, it frees educators to focus on higher-level discussion, mentoring, and feedback.

Charles uses AI daily for exam preparation and viva practice, while Gerald highlights how radiology teaching can be transformed by interactive, AI-driven annotation and quizzes. For students, this makes learning more engaging and self-directed, while educators gain efficiency.

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Practical Applications

Some of the practical uses of AI in education include:

• Automated teaching modules: AI generates X-ray cases, marks quizzes, and provides feedback.
• Exam question writing: Large language models help draft questions to GMC standards, which faculty then refine.
• Personalised learning: Students can use AI to test themselves, summarise notes, or adapt material to their learning style.
• Faculty support: Tools like ChatGPT speed up lesson planning and save educators hours of repetitive work. 

The guiding principle?

“Trust but verify.”

AI can suggest, draft, and prompt, but ultimate responsibility lies with the educator.

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Professionalism and Ethics

AI also raises important ethical and professional questions. What if a student submits AI-generated work? How do we ensure references are genuine? Gerald and Charles emphasise that AI should be treated like a calculator: students must first learn the basics before using advanced tools responsibly.

This means embedding AI literacy into Years 1–3 of the curriculum, covering what it can and can’t do, ethical boundaries, and the professionalism required to use it safely in clinical practice.

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Collaboration and the Future

The conversation highlights Aberdeen’s multidisciplinary approach, working with computer scientists, data experts, and NHS partners to ensure students are prepared for the future workplace. With NHS Scotland soon rolling out generative AI tools, it makes sense to align medical education with the tools graduates will actually use.

Looking ahead, AI could:

• Expand simulation and communication skills training through virtual patients.
• Personalise revision and feedback for different learning styles.
• Reduce educator workload on admin-heavy tasks like exam writing.
• Enhance student engagement with interactive, adaptive learning.

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Final Message

For educators, the advice is simple: be open, try it, and start small. Use AI for a task that feels manageable, get familiar with how it works, and build confidence step by step.

As Gerald puts it: 

“AI is here, and we stand to lose a lot if we don’t get on board.”