The program, which received an overwhelming response of more than 50,000 confirmed early registrations, connects clinical knowledge with data science, preparing future healthcare leaders to effectively manage AI solutions in real-world settings.

Mint explains the scope and aim of the program and what it means for India’s medical education.

What does this program mean for postgraduate students across different fields?

This initiative targets approximately 50,000 postgraduate medical students from NBEMS-accredited institutions. It connects clinical knowledge with data science, preparing future healthcare leaders to effectively manage AI solutions in real-world settings. In specialized fields like radiology, pathology, and cardiology, AI tools enhance diagnostic accuracy and assist in personalized treatment planning.

By offering this training free of charge, the program ensures that every trainee and faculty member gains equal access to advanced AI and machine learning skills that were previously restricted to elite research environments.

By offering the training for free, the program gives all trainees and faculty equal access to advanced AI and machine learning skills once limited to elite research environment.

This digital-first approach enables doctors in both rural and urban areas to access the same high-quality education simultaneously.

While a doctor’s human touch and medical skills are what get them hired, AI knowledge enhances their existing capabilities. A doctor is selected based on their medical expertise and exam scores, but knowing AI makes them more efficient and valuable to hospitals.

What makes the curriculum locally relevant?

The curriculum is a multidisciplinary academic collaboration between global faculties from institutions like Harvard, Mayo Clinic, and the University of London, and premier Indian institutes, including the IITs, AIG Hyderabad, and IIM Lucknow. Designed using feedback from a national survey of trainees, faculty, and healthcare administrators, the program ensures alignment with global standards and local adaptability.

This initiative is about fostering innovation, ensuring Indian doctors are not passive consumers of foreign algorithms but active co-creators of medical solutions rooted in India’s unique epidemiological and resource contexts. Delivered via an indigenous e-learning platform, the program consists of 20 high-impact sessions running from January through July 2026. Participants will receive a formal certificate upon completion.

Is AI really necessary for modern medical doctors?

Doctors today manage massive volumes of information—from imaging and lab results to electronic records—often under tight deadlines. AI serves as a vital clinical support system, analyzing this data quickly to support better decisions.

“The integration of AI in medicine is a progressive path that provides doctors with a powerful tool to enhance their profession, though it will never replace the essential human touch and empathy of a physician,” said Dr Abhijat Sheth, president, NBEMS, and chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

“Our goal at NBEMS is to ensure that both postgraduates and undergraduates are acquainted with AI’s practical applications, ethical values, and limitations. By offering specialized training, we aim to complement existing medical expertise and prevent de-skilling, ensuring that the doctor remains the final decision-maker for patient care in this technological era.”

Does it address ethics and industry standards?

The program bridges clinical knowledge and data science, promoting the ethical use of technology to prepare healthcare leaders to assess AI solutions in real-world settings.

Beyond instruction, it incorporates industry collaboration with tech startups and digital health platforms. This engagement ensures exposure to real-world deployments, regulatory considerations, and the pathways from research to bedside practice.

Key principles include accountability for AI-assisted decisions, accessibility to bridge healthcare gaps, and the ethical safeguarding of patient interests. These standards ensure technological advancements strengthen, rather than compromise, clinical care.

By focusing on these pillars, the initiative moves beyond basic technology to establish a comprehensive professional framework. Artificial intelligence can’t replace human intelligence. It is only going to enhance your knowledge and help you in treating the patient in a scientific way, said Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA).

What role is technology playing in medical education in India right now?

Medical education is currently in a modernization phase to keep pace with an increasingly complex and data-driven healthcare landscape. Dr Sheth emphasized that modern medical education requires two key elements: India must develop innovative solutions to provide the best medical education while addressing the current lack of uniformity.

“One of the challenges for medical education is to enhance quality and we need to bring uniformity into the education system. In this era of technological advancement and complexity, we need to adapt all these newer solutions—digital education and innovative methods—which will eventually complement current methods and motivate the current generation of doctors,” Dr Sheth said. This approach aims to bridge the gap between traditional learning and future tech.