Preparing Students for the Future of Medicine
As AI changes health care, Dr. Gauri Agarwal is adapting the curriculum to ensure medical students are ready
By Debby Teich
Photography by Jeffery Salter
Gauri Agarwal, B.S. ’96, M.D., ’00
G
auri Agarwal, B.S. ’96, M.D., ’00, an associate dean for curriculum at the Miller School, believes that nothing will impact medicine more in the next 10 years than artificial intelligence. To help bridge the gap, Dr. Agarwal has been integrating AI and the humanities into the curriculum to help students understand how to leverage the technology to improve patient care and outcomes.
“We must teach our medical students to adapt to AI by offering patients the humanistic and compassionate care that a machine cannot provide,” Dr. Agarwal said. “They can use empathy, instinct, creativity and contextual understanding to connect with patients.”
Dr. Agarwal became interested in academia at an early age. Her father is a professor of mechanical engineering, and her mother is a pediatrician. She chose a career that blends both.
“By combining medicine and education, I can have a deeper impact on patients and society by developing future physicians,” she said.
As an educator, Dr. Agarwal’s goal is to ensure students are inspired, challenged and empowered to become transformational leaders in medicine. This is evident in her teaching style and the curriculum she leads. “During medical school, I received invaluable clinical training that emphasized patient-centered care,” she said. “Our health system provides rare opportunities for students that are not available at many other health systems.”
“Medical students … must always remember that the core of what we do is a uniquely human enterprise that requires warmth curiosity and judgment.”
She uses humor and empathy in her classroom to create an open space for her students. “Medical students are learning in a fast-paced, stressful environment,” Dr. Agarwal said. “If they are relaxed, they will be more comfortable asking questions.”
She was recently honored as a Gold Humanism Scholar for her work developing a curriculum that incorporates the humanities — art, poetry and music — and AI’s key applications and limitations in clinical practice.
“I love my work and look forward to continuing to adapt the curriculum as health care evolves,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Medical students need to develop adaptive expertise as they integrate new technology into the care of their patients, but they must always remember that the core of what we do is a uniquely human enterprise that requires warmth, curiosity and judgment.” 
