FROM CLASSROOM TO CLINIC: HARNESSING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE TRAINING

Abstract

Healthcare training is standing at a turning point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept reserved for technology laboratories or research conferences. It is beginning to show up in physiotherapy clinics, nursing wards, medical schools, and allied health training programs. The question that educators, students, and institutions now face is not whether AI will change the way healthcare professionals are trained, but how well prepared they are to use it responsibly and effectively. This chapter takes a forward-looking approach. Drawing on original research from physiotherapy programs, multi-country student surveys, and studies involving practicing allied health professionals, it explores how AI can realistically be brought into healthcare training over the coming years. It addresses the knowledge that currently exists, the attitudes that students and clinicians hold, the obstacles that slow implementation, and the practical steps that can move healthcare education from awareness into genuine clinical application.