AI4Doctors: Workshop Series
Bridging the AI literacy gap for medical professionals in Pakistan
The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerging as a transformative force. With the healthcare industry generating nearly 30% of the world’s data, there is massive potential for AI to revolutionize diagnostics, treatment planning, and overall patient care. However, a major challenge persists: most healthcare professionals remain distant from AI’s potential due to limited exposure and training.
To bridge this gap, the Precision Medicine Lab, an affiliate of the National Centre for Big Data and Cloud Computing, initiated the “AI for Doctors” workshop series; a hands-on, inclusive, and intuitive training program for doctors, dentists, trainees, and students across KPK, Pakistan. This program aimed to not only educate but empower the medical community with AI awareness and skill sets.
Why did we do this?
The AI4Doctors workshop series is more than just a training program, it’s a purpose-driven initiative by the Precision Medicine Lab to bridge the growing divide between artificial intelligence and clinical medicine in Pakistan. At its core, the workshop is designed to build intuition, not just technical know-how around how AI works, where it fits in clinical workflows, and how it can (and should) be questioned. We aim to equip healthcare professionals, especially those with no prior coding or computational background, with the confidence, context, and curiosity to meaningfully engage with AI tools.
Doctors shouldn’t be passive users of black-box technologies, they should be informed collaborators, capable of critically assessing AI models, understanding their limitations, and ensuring ethical, patient-centered implementation. By fostering interdisciplinary conversations and emphasizing clarity over complexity, AI4Doctors initiative aims to create a generation of clinicians who can shape the future of AI in healthcare, not just adapt to it.
About the AI4Doctors Workshop Series
The AI4Doctors Workshop Series was a hands-on, beginner-friendly introduction to artificial intelligence, tailored specifically for MBBS and BDS students, residents, and healthcare professionals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Key Highlights:
Duration: April–July 2024
Editions: 4 batches
Participants: 155 from over 30 institutions
Improved AI Understanding: 68.9% of participants
Desire for Further Learning: 51.1% expressed interest
The majority of participants were 3rd, 4th, and final-year MBBS students, primarily from Khyber Medical College and Khyber Girls Medical College.
Workshop Design
Each workshop comprised four compact, interactive sessions:
Foundational Concepts – Dr. Faisal Khan
AI in Cancer Diagnostics – Dr. Qazi Kamran
Building AI Models – Arsalan Riaz
Hands-On Exercises – Working with histopathology datasets using Google Colab
Additional features included:
Breakout games (“Oh That’s Me!”)
No prior coding required
Impact in Numbers
Participant Testimonials
Overall it was a very good workshop and such workshops should be executed and feasible at every level of med school.
I would suggest to arrange more sessions like it and there should be more guidance for the doctors as I think there is still much to be known.
Everything is perfect.. and I would like to work with ur team in coming years
Spin-off: Data Meets Medicine
Following the success of the AI4Doctors workshops, the Data Meets Medicine initiative was launched to provide the AI community with opportunities to interact with real clinical datasets, including radiology, lab results, genomics, histopath slides, and biorepository metadata.
Key Highlights:
Attendees: 27 from 12 universities
Local Data Sourcing: 73.1% expressed intent to seek real biomedical data from local sources
Preferred Data Type: Molecular (57.7%)
Photo Gallery
Key Learnings
- Replace code-heavy demonstrations with user-friendly tools like Teachable Machine
- Enhance venue technical setups
- Consider developing a comprehensive mini-course, as 3.5 hours proved too short
Call to Action
“Want to host an AI4Doctors edition at your institution or hospital? Get in touch.“
AI4Doctors is an innovative workshop series designed to empower medical students and professionals with the game-changing potential of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI is transforming healthcare—from diagnostics to treatment planning—there’s still a major gap in how medical professionals, especially those without a tech background, engage with these powerful tools.
That’s where our tailored workshop comes in. These hands-on, 3.5-hour workshops are specifically designed to make AI accessible to everyone, even with zero coding experience. Participants dive into the world of AI by exploring medical imaging datasets, learning about machine learning models, and understanding the entire AI pipeline. It’s a crash course that not only breaks down complex concepts but shows how AI can be directly applied in clinical practice.
The results speak for themselves—over 155 medics have walked away with a newfound understanding and excitement for AI’s potential in healthcare. This isn’t just learning; it’s about shaping the future of medicine. Our workshops are giving healthcare professionals the tools they need to embrace AI, ensuring they’re ready to lead the next wave of medical revolution.
