New Advisory Procedure for Medical Education Technology Projects
In August, Yale School of Medicine (YSM) ETI introduced a new advisory procedure to help medical education technology projects get off to a strong start. The process gives teams a clear path for planning, review, and implementation while making sure projects are coordinated, secure, and aligned with school priorities and policies. By bringing the right partners together early, YSM ETI can help teams navigate data security and privacy requirements, encourage collaboration, and provide the technical and strategic guidance needed for successful outcomes. Read the full procedure in PolicyTech. Submit an
idea for YSM ETI review.
DIY Citizen Developer Workshop Inspires AI-Powered Problem Solving
On June 30, YSM ETI hosted its first Citizen Developer Workshop, empowering faculty and staff with no coding experience to build practical AI-powered solutions using Yale-approved tools. Forty-five participants learned how to create custom chatbots and agents, develop knowledge bases, and explore platforms such as Clarity AI and
Google NotebookLM. Through hands-on activities and expert guidance, attendees discovered how AI can streamline workflows, enhance teaching and learning, and solve everyday challenges while maintaining Yale's privacy and security standards. The slides are available and a self-paced learning toolkit is in development. Based on high demand, a
second citizen developer workshop will take place on Oct. 16.
Sharing Yale IT Innovation Lessons at National Conference
The 14th annual Medical Education Day took place on June 4
, bringing together YSM educators, researchers, clinicians, and staff to showcase advances in health professions education. The YSM ETI team contributed three presentations highlighting how technology is transforming medical education through AI, improved information access, and immersive learning. Projects included Ambient Feedback, an AI scribe that generates clinical notes and trainee feedback; Curriculum Search, an AI-powered tool developed with the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library to improve access to curriculum resources; and extended reality (XR) Exploration, which supports immersive anatomy and surgical education, including Apple Vision Pros (wearable mixed reality headsets that overlay digital content onto the real world). Collaborator
Saeed Juggan, MD-PhD candidate, received the Best in Innovation Award for his poster on locally created 3D models for anatomy using photogrammetry and Apple Vision Pro.
AI Curriculum Search Tools Rolled Out for MD, PA, and Women’s Health
YSM ETI, in partnership with the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library (CWML), has launched the full MD Curriculum Search tool
. MD Curriculum Search (Yale Secure Wi-Fi or VPN required) is an AI-powered assistant that lets you search across all content in the MD pre-clerkship curriculum using natural language prompts. Answers include page-level citations to source documents such as syllabi, slide decks, lecture notes, and handouts. The tool helps curriculum leaders identify where competencies are taught and assessed, enables faculty to discover connections and reduce duplication across courses, and allows students to quickly find relevant learning content regardless of terminology or file format. CWML and YSM ETI have launched
two similar tools for curriculum search in the Physician Associate (PA) Program and women’s health.
The YSM ETI team has expanded the ETI Ambient Feedback tool beyond its original medical education use cases to support a growing range of clinical education applications. The tool integrates with a Clarity Health ePHI (electronic Protected Health Information) custom agent through the Portkey AI platform. This integration supports pilot workflows such as one-minute preceptor summaries, management reasoning summaries, and patient-centered communication feedback.
YSM collaborators are exploring these features for FY27. The team implemented Google Analytics to better understand how the tool is being used and added Dynatrace monitoring and alerting to detect and resolve service disruptions more quickly. Feedback from classroom use has helped the team make the tool easier for educators to use. Faculty interested in using the tool or exploring new workflows should contact Innovate.MedEd@yale.edu.
Talwalkar Interviewed on AI Scribes for Clinical Skills
In recent interviews with Stat+ and YSM, Jaideep Talwalkar, MD
, ETI co-chair and associate dean of educational technology and innovation, discussed the benefits and risks of AI scribes for medical students and offered advice on how best to use this new technology. He shared, “one fundamental principle is that we should use these tools to bring us closer to the patient, not create more separation. One of the success stories of the ambient AI scribes in clinical use is exactly that. As a physician, I am no longer sitting there with my laptop on my lap. I can have more eye contact, listen better, and be more present.”
Ye Xu Shares Her Motivations for Collaboration
In an August 2026 interview with Yale’s Working Women Network, Ye Xu, PhD
, shared her career journey and her approach to building new solutions for medical education. She said, “every project starts with listening, understanding a challenge, and asking how innovation can make people’s work and learning experiences better.” That perspective continues to guide her work as she develops solutions that improve learning experiences, support educators, and encourage others to approach innovation with confidence and curiosity.
YSM ETI Mentioned in 2026 State of the School Address
In her annual address, Nancy J. Brown, MD
, Jean and David W. Wallace, Dean of Yale School of Medicine, commended YSM ETI among YSM initiatives actively promoting AI exploration. Dean Brown spoke of the importance of “approaching this with the mindset of critical inquiry that characterizes the Yale system and working with students not simply to try the neatest, coolest thing, but to reflect on what the appropriate use of AI is in the clinical setting or in research and how one evaluates it.”
Virtual Reality for Instructors Scheduled for November & December
Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation (YCHS) has a new training series titled Virtual Reality for Instructors. Participants will learn how to use this immersive technology to create a consistent, safe, and engaging experience for learners during virtual reality simulations. In this 120-minute course, topics covered will include best practices for creating a positive learning experience, tips for using the technology safely and effectively, hands-on practice navigating the SimX medical simulation platform, and support provided by YCHS. Register for the
Nov. 3 or Dec. 8 session. If you have any questions, contact simulation@yale.edu or kris.bickell@ynhh.org.
Leigh Evans, MD, to Retire After Advancing Simulation at Yale
Leigh Evans, MD, professor of emergency medicine and executive director of the Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation, will retire on Dec. 31 after a distinguished career advancing simulation-based education, clinical training, and patient safety. She led the creation of the Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation, expanded faculty development and interprofessional training, and established a medical simulation fellowship whose graduates now hold leadership roles across the country. Evans also founded the Simulation Academy at Yale, providing hands-on STEM education to New Haven students and leaving a lasting impact on medical education at Yale and beyond.
Zhang Wins Award at Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
The YCHS Simulation Design and Debriefing Intensive gives Yale New Haven Health and YSM faculty and staff two days of hands-on practice designing scenarios, facilitating simulations, and leading structured debriefs. Participants develop and run a scenario with peers, receive real-time faculty feedback, and leave with practical strategies for creating engaging learning experiences and reflective conversations across clinical and nonclinical settings.
YCHS Connects Future Clinicians with Hands-On Learning
Eighteen undergraduate and graduate students, many who are first-generation college students, visited Yale from four universities across Connecticut and New York to explore clinical careers at YCHS. They held discussions on AI and humanity in medicine. They also participated in hands-on training in procedures such as suturing and intubation, lifesaving simulation, and physician-patient role-play. The full-day program, in partnership with the nonprofit Minorities in Medicine, paired practical experience with mentorship and networking while supporting students from socially underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Neonatal Emergency Simulation Strengthens Coordinated Care
A multidisciplinary neonatal emergency simulation brought together Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital transport, pediatric emergency, and neonatal teams to rehearse care for an early delivery in an ambulance. The scenario followed the patient from prehospital response through stabilization and transport, helping participants strengthen role clarity, rapid communication, safe handoffs, and coordinated decision-making during high-risk out-of-hospital births.
Greenwich Students Explore Healthcare Through Simulation
During Greenwich Hospital’s annual Youth Access Healthcare Explorers Week, local high school students and recent graduates practiced CPR, used EpiPens, and worked through emergency scenarios developed with YCHS. The immersive activities introduced participants to patient care while building teamwork, communication, confidence, and rapid decision-making in a safe clinical learning environment.
Simulated Participants Help Learners Master the Art of Care
Through YSM’s Simulated Participant Program, students and clinicians practice patient-centered communication with trained actors portraying people with specific medical concerns. Founded in 1993 and now part of YCHS, the program provides a supportive, low-stakes setting for learners to ask open-ended questions, listen carefully, communicate with compassion, and receive actionable feedback before applying these skills in clinical care.
About YCHS
YCHS aims to provide an ideal learning environment that fosters self-reflection, mutual respect, and an integrated, interdisciplinary team spirit to optimize healthcare delivery and engender a culture committed to patient safety.
More to Explore
Anesthesia Playground is an AI-powered simulation platform that helps medical students learn anesthesiology through realistic operating room scenarios. Developed by Yale medical student Chanseo Lee and anesthesiology faculty collaborators, it provides personalized training with clinical cases, a virtual ventilator, and a fully equipped operating room environment.
Viral Invaders is an educational video game that teaches clinical reasoning to infectious disease residents through patient cases, puzzles, and interactive challenges. Developed by Joseph Canterino, MD, MHS, the five-level game combines storytelling, problem-solving, and medical education in short, engaging 10-minute sessions.
