Episode one: Generative AI in Medicine
| Dr. Sofia Valanci is the Physician Program Advisor for the Learning and Connecting department at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, where she leads quality improvement of learning frameworks and guides the implementation of learning needs for fellows. Her passion for GenAI and its use in continuing professional development (CPD) was sparked when OpenAI launched ChatGPT— she has since imparted numerous keynotes on the subject and taken several courses on the topic. Dr. Valanci completed her General Surgery training at the American British Cowdray Medical Center in Mexico City, where she began her surgical practice and participated closely in undergrad and resident education. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Her passion for medical education, CPD and culture in medicine brought her to McGill University, where she completed a master’s and PhD in surgical education. |
In this episode, Dr. Valanci breaks down generative AI for clinicians, exploring how large language models like ChatGPT are being integrated into everyday clinical practice. The discussion covers practical applications, from clinical documentation and referral letters to patient education materials and literature reviews.
The discussion covers AI scribes, which show promise to reduce administrative burden, with pilots reporting up to 5.7 hours saved weekly. Dr. Valanci walks through effective prompting strategies and the importance of treating AI as an assistant rather than a search engine, always reviewing outputs for accuracy.
She addresses emerging ethical considerations around patient privacy, data security, misinformation risks, environmental impacts of AI usage and the need to anonymize information when using non-HIPAA compliant tools.
Her take-home message is clear: physicians should start experimenting with AI now and develop AI literacy, as those who learn to leverage these tools effectively will have a significant advantage in managing clinical workload, while maintaining quality patient care.
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