Our institution, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, has been using Artificial Intelligence (AI) long before the advent of large language models. For example, our emergency department has used Isabel, an AI-based diagnostic program, for several years. Artificial Intelligence holds significant promise, particularly in freeing healthcare professionals from routine and repetitive tasks. A systematic review evaluated the use of large language models in healthcare applications,() while a scoping review() and an umbrella review on the impact of ChatGPT in healthcare() further explored […]

Improvements in healthcare quality and safety have never been the result of isolated efforts by individuals or institutions. They arise from the ability to connect people, experiences, knowledge, and evidence around a common purpose: to provide care that is increasingly safe, effective, person-centered, equitable, and sustainable. In the context of increasingly complex healthcare systems, quality is no longer merely a set of specific initiatives or projects but has become a central element of organizational strategy, guiding decisions, priorities, and learning […]

Yet an important question remains. Can a procedure truly be considered minimally invasive if only the incision is minimal? A robotic lobectomy performed through four 8-mm ports cannot be considered fully minimally invasive if it is followed by routine intensive care admission, prolonged chest tube drainage, delayed mobilization, multiple unnecessary investigations, and several days of hospitalization. While we have successfully minimized the surgical access, we have not always minimized the overall burden of treatment imposed on the patient. Historically, postoperative […]

This is not a new phenomenon. Scientific medical information has always competed with people promoting both new and old theories and remedies lacking a solid evidence base. In the past, this was part of the social milieu, and did not raise many concerns. However, social networks have changed this dynamic, allowing unscientific information to spread wildly.()Medicine is not easy to understand: complicated biological information is used, and evidence-based medicine requires physicians to read and understand complex statistics and evaluate clinical […]

Rare diseases collectively affect hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide; however, each condition individually faces substantial barriers to research, innovation, and equitable access to therapies. Accelerating and promoting research in rare diseases is therefore not only a scientific necessity but also a public health and ethical imperative. Limited funding, small patient populations, fragmented expertise, and complex regulatory and reimbursement pathways frequently delay the translation of scientific advances into tangible clinical benefits, particularly outside high-income regions. Even when innovative therapies receive […]

What is lost when generating answers becomes more important than learning? Artificial intelligence (AI) has ceased to be a prospect and has become a routine tool for study, academic production, and decision-making. Over the past three years, language models based on generative AI have migrated from an interesting technological curiosity to widely available tools, with unprecedented speed and impact at scale across multiple fields, including education. And it is precisely in education that this movement has revealed an inflection point […]

Moving towards an evidence-based education brings several challenges, including the underpinning foundations of current training. Simulation-based education (SBE) has been based on several rigorous research studies to demonstrate its efficacy. However, educators and researchers still use theories that are currently considered educational myths instead of theories with solid scientific evidence. In this editorial, we will describe several myths used in education and present theories that have been widely evidenced in the educational context. We hope this editorial will increase awareness […]

The issue of scientific training – scientific initiation (SI) in Brazil – for medical students is as old as evidence-based medicine. It goes far beyond training a new generation of physician-scientists needed for the continuous advancement of human health care. Advancements that throughout the 20th century led to doubling the average life expectancy, by saving lives in childhood and prolonging life in adults and the elderly through prophylaxis and treatment of deadly diseases. Science training is crucial for medical students, […]

Scientific initiation is a term used in Brazil to refer to Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs). Students join a research group and develop an individual project under the guidance of a mentor, typically a faculty member, researcher or other healthcare professional with a PhD. While these experiences are intended to cultivate critical skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, evidence suggests that students often devote most of their time to data collection and analysis, with limited engagement in understanding the broader […]

In common parlance, the term “event” often evokes images of celebrations, ceremonies, or large gatherings meant primarily for leisure. However, when considered in the academic environment, event planning can be understood as a pedagogical tool that fosters organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills among students. Far from being limited to logistical tasks such as scheduling rooms, event planning becomes a formative process in which students learn to manage resources, coordinate teams, and handle unforeseen challenges. In this sense, organizing an academic […]