AI Rounds by the Cumming School of Medicine

Most conversations about AI in medical education are led by faculty. This one isn't. Hailee Rochon, a registered nurse and a student in the University of Calgary's Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, got in touch because she wanted to share how AI has changed the way she learns. For Hailee, the value isn't speed or shortcuts. It's self-direction. She describes using AI t...

When a colleague was using an AI tool and it unexpectedly swore at him, his reaction caught him off guard. It wasn’t amusement or confusion — it was genuine discomfort. And that raised a question worth exploring: why do we have such strong emotional responses to AI behaviour? In this episode, Dr. Kannin Osei-Tutu and I dig into the research on how humans relate to AI systems. We cover the CASA par...

For decades, we've understood human reasoning through two systems: the fast, intuitive one and the slow, deliberate one. But that framework was built before AI became a thinking partner. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Steven Shaw — a Canadian scholar and postdoctoral fellow at the Wharton School — to talk about his new framework, Tri-System Theory, and what it means that AI now functions...

Delegating to an AI agent is not the same as prompting a chatbot. In this episode, I walk through what good delegation actually looks like — scope, constraints, and checkpoints — and apply it to three concrete tasks: updating your CV, building a simple course assistant, and screening abstracts for a scoping review. The framework is practical, the failure modes are real, and the limits matter.

Agents went from a concept most faculty hadn't encountered to embedded infrastructure in the tools you already use — in roughly 18 months. In this episode, I trace what changed, why it changed so fast, and what a three-tier framework for thinking about AI autonomy can tell you about what you're already working with. Microsoft & Health Management Academy: Agentic AI readiness in healthc...

Most conversations about AI in medical education focus on efficiency — faster feedback, streamlined assessment, reduced administrative burden. Dr. Nia Abdullayeva asks a harder question: what happens to the human dimensions of training in the process? In this episode, Nia joins me to explore how AI, used intentionally, can protect rather than displace the relational time that makes good teaching a...

Not all AI tools work the same way — and NotebookLM is a clear example of why that distinction matters. In this episode, I walk through how NotebookLM works, why its underlying architecture makes it meaningfully different from general-purpose AI assistants, and what that means for how you should use it. We cover the full range of what the tool can produce — from cited Q&A and study guides to A...

AI agents are everywhere now — tools that can manage your email, execute research tasks, book appointments. But before we explore what AI agents can do for you, we need to understand what you're actually trading every time you use AI. In this Season 2 opener, I walk through the major trade-offs faculty face when using AI in research, education, and clinical work: efficiency versus depth, bread...

This brief episode wraps up Season 1 of AI Rounds. Thank you, listeners, for tuning in, we've covered a lot of ground together — from how AI models learn to practical applications in teaching, research, and clinical work. Season 2 will launch in Spring 2026, and I'd love your help shaping upcoming content. If you have topic suggestions, please send them to  ofd@ucalgary.ca .

In an era where AI tools promise to accelerate every aspect of academic work, graduate students face a paradox: having access to powerful technology while needing to develop fundamental research skills. In this episode, Inara Lalani, a current graduate student shares insights about the critical importance of discernment in AI use. The conversation explores prioritizing process over product in the...

What if your AI could work independently toward your goals instead of just answering individual questions? In this episode, we explore AI agents—autonomous systems that can monitor information, make decisions, and take actions without constant oversight. Unlike traditional AI tools that respond to single requests, agents operate continuously to achieve specific objectives. For medical faculty, thi...

Feeling overwhelmed by AI in education? You've been here before. In this conversation, Dr. D'Arcy Norman draws on three decades of educational technology experience to reveal a striking pattern: roughly every ten years, a "revolutionary" technology emerges that promises to transform education forever. Computers. The Internet. MOOCs. And now, AI. Each time, the same fears surface....

Why do GenAI systems confidently state incorrect medical facts instead of saying "I don't know?" Groundbreaking research from OpenAI and Georgia Tech reveals that AI hallucinations aren't bugs to be fixed—they're inevitable consequences of how these systems are trained. This episode explores the "singleton problem" that makes AI systematically unreliable on rare fac...

What happens when artificial intelligence collides with centuries-old academic traditions? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Heather Jamniczky, Associate Dean of Graduate Science Education and 3M National Teaching Fellow, tackles the seismic shifts reshaping how we train the next generation of medical researchers. From late-night worries about academic integrity to bold visions of AI-ready gr...

Our institution now has campus-wide access to scite.ai, an AI-powered research tool that's fundamentally different from traditional databases. In this episode, we explore how medical faculty can leverage this powerful platform to transform their research workflows, enhance teaching, and support evidence-based clinical decisions. Whether you're writing your next grant, preparing tomorrow&#3...

In 2025, artificial intelligence has achieved an unexpected milestone: it's become too good at taking tests. From medical knowledge exams to complex reasoning tasks, AI systems are now scoring 90%+ on benchmarks that were designed to challenge them, rendering these assessments meaningless for comparison or evaluation. This "benchmark crisis" has profound implications for medical faculty evaluating...

The Game Has Changed! Forget everything you know about AI "search." In the past few months GenAI tools have released "deep research" capabilities which can spend up to 45 minutes autonomously investigating complex medical questions, synthesize findings from hundreds of papers in minutes, and generate comprehensive literature reviews that used to take weeks. See how you can save...

This week Jessalyn sits down with Dr. Jordan Engbers, who works with AI both in industry and academia. The conversation explores how our relationship to intellectual work could (and should!) change as we incorporate AI into our workflows. The discussion continues thinking about what we are teaching in higher education regarding AI use and what employers are looking for these days in industry relat...

This week Jessalyn has a fascinating conversation with guest Dr. Zack Marshall, an expert in Community-Based Participatory Research and Responsible AI. The conversation explores gender bias in AI, how to engage patients and the public in AI development, and transdisciplinary thinking and collaboration in AI. Check the links below for the projects mentioned in this episode. Shirin Seyedsalehi, Amin...

On this episode, Jessalyn sits down with Dr. Nonsikelelo Mathe (Scientific Director, Health Equity & Implementation Science, Health Equity & Systems Transformation Lab, CSM) to discuss equity, ethics, and privacy when thinking about using AI in the healthcare system.

On this episode, we explore essential AI prompting techniques. Whether you're a health sciences professor, medical educator, or practicing clinician, you'll learn practical strategies to get better results from AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini in your professional work. We cover five core prompting principles and advanced techniques including Chain of Thought reasoning with exampl...

On this episode, Jessalyn sits down with Dr. Fareen Zaver, Associate Dean, Office of Faculty Development to discuss why faculty members should prioritize AI literacy in their professional development.

Take a deep dive into large language models and generative AI like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. On this episode, Jessalyn will dig into how these systems actually work, discuss their current capabilities and limitations, and share some practical tips for leveraging them effectively.

New to AI? No problem! On this episode, Jessalyn breaks down artificial intelligence using a powerful analogy: how children learn to understand their world. Just as kids start with basic concepts before tackling complex ones, you too can grasp AI fundamentals without a technical background.

AI Rounds is an educational podcast designed specifically for university faculty in medicine and health sciences navigating the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in healthcare and education. Each episode breaks down complex AI concepts into digestible insights, exploring practical applications in your work and discussing how these technologies are reshaping medical research and educati...