Medical education in India needs to move beyond classroom learning and focus more on practical training, patient communication, ethics and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), experts said at the AnatEd Summit 2026 held at AIIMS, New Delhi.
The experts emphasized that future doctors should not be limited to theoretical knowledge alone. Instead, medical education should equip them with strong clinical skills, effective communication, leadership qualities and a commitment to lifelong learning. They also highlighted the need to update teaching methods to match the learning style of Generation Z students while keeping patient care at the centre of medical training.
Prof. Reema Dada, Professor, Department of Anatomy and In-charge of the Media Cell at AIIMS, said the primary objective of AnatEd Summit 2026 is to discuss Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME), the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching, and modern approaches to medical education.
She said that the changing healthcare landscape demands continuous learning throughout a doctor's career. Therefore, medical students should not focus only on acquiring theoretical knowledge but also develop practical clinical skills and learn how to communicate effectively with patients.
According to Prof. Dada, if students only study textbooks without learning how to interact with patients or apply their knowledge in real-life clinical settings, their medical education remains incomplete. She added that earlier, medical education largely followed a teacher-centred approach, where teachers delivered lectures and students listened passively. However, this method often failed to develop the practical skills required to become competent doctors.
"After graduating from medical school, a doctor's foremost responsibility is to provide quality primary healthcare to patients. For this, good communication skills, ethical values, leadership abilities and empathy towards patients are equally important," she said. Explaining how medical education has evolved, Prof. Dada said that students are no longer expected to simply memorise anatomical facts. Instead, they are taught to understand the clinical relevance of anatomy—for example, why blood is drawn from a particular vein, how to identify its surface markings and why that knowledge is important during patient care.
She said that linking classroom learning with real clinical practice not only increases students' interest in the subject but also helps them become better doctors.
Prof. Dada further explained that the new education model is completely student-centred. It focuses on how students learn, how quickly they acquire new skills and how effectively they apply that knowledge in clinical practice. Regular formative assessments and continuous feedback are also part of the learning process, helping students identify and improve their weaknesses.
Highlighting the rapid advances in medical technology, she said that innovations such as CT scans, MRI, robotics and Artificial Intelligence have transformed healthcare, making continuous learning essential for every doctor. Although AIIMS follows its own academic curriculum, Prof. Dada said it is aligned with the National Medical Commission's (NMC) competency-based medical education framework to ensure students are trained according to national standards.
Meanwhile, Dr. Aarti G, Organising Secretary of AnatEd Summit 2026 and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy at AIIMS, said that while medical education has always been an integral part of undergraduate and postgraduate medical training, the summit aims to modernise anatomy education in line with current healthcare needs.
She pointed out that Generation Z students learn differently from previous generations, making it necessary for teachers to adopt new teaching methods that can better engage students and bridge the generational gap in learning. Dr. Aarti said that the summit has brought together several renowned medical educators and experts from India and abroad, including those who have played an important role in developing competency-based medical education and curriculum reforms.
She added that the conference aims to update anatomy education in line with emerging technologies and the learning needs of today's students. With participation from delegates across the country and international experts, AnatEd Summit 2026 has emerged as an important platform to discuss the future direction of medical education in India.