NBEMS starts free online course on AI in medical education—Eligibility, how to apply & more

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has launched an online application for a programme focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medical Education. The initiative is for postgraduate doctors and faculty members. NBEMS has also confirmed in its notification that no fee will be charged for participation. Interested candidates can apply at: natboard.edu.in/Sangam/index.php

The six-month initiative will feature 20 interactive modules delivered through live online sessions, with an emphasis on clinical applicability, ethics, patient safety, and accountability. Notably, no prior technical or programming background is required. To know the curriculum design, doctors can read the notification and know about nitty nitty-gritty of the course structure and each module.

The sessions will be led by faculty from institutions worldwide, including the Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, University of Oxford, IISc Bengaluru, IIM Lucknow, and other reputed organisations.

Eligibility extends to ongoing NBEMS trainees, alumni who qualified from the 2020 session onwards, faculty of NBEMS-accredited departments, and other professionals. Participants will be required to attend at least 75 per cent of live sessions, with attendance tracked at both the start and end of each class. In addition, completion of the online assessment module will make them eligible for a digital course completion certificate.

The class schedule will be published on the official NBEMS website–natboard.edu.in, and participants can access each session by clicking the ‘Join the Class’ link displayed alongside the respective module. This link will redirect attendees to the online platform and automatically record their attendance at the start of the session.

The link becomes active 30 minutes before the scheduled start time and remains accessible for only 30 minutes after commencement. At the end of each class, participants are required to complete a short questionnaire and submit feedback, which serves to confirm their end-of-class attendance. The feedback link will be available for one hour after the conclusion of the session.

As stated in the notification, by the end of the programme on artificial intelligence in medical education, participants will be equipped with an understanding of AI concepts relevant to healthcare, without the need for technical or programming expertise. They will gain the ability to critically evaluate AI tools, models, and scientific literature for their clinical validity, utility, bias, and implications for patient safety.

The course emphasises sound clinical judgment, guiding doctors to discern when AI is appropriate and when it is not, while also addressing ethical, legal, privacy, and cybersecurity considerations specific to the Indian healthcare context.

Participants will learn to integrate AI outputs into clinical decision-making through patient-centred reasoning, contribute effectively as domain experts in multidisciplinary AI teams, and uphold professionalism, accountability, and transparency in the use of AI-assisted tools across patient care, education, and research.