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Who comes to Stanford Medicine, and what courses does it offer?
We saw value in offering educational programmes for healthcare leaders. We are developing a portfolio with two levels of programming. One is for senior leaders at the C-suite level, and the other is for emerging, high-potential mid-career leaders. The programmes are designed broadly for healthcare leadership—whether someone is working in government, policy, pharma, healthcare delivery institutions, or even leading a healthcare startup, we welcome them into either programme.
Our programmes cover broad leadership topics in health and medicine.
Do these courses open the US job market to the candidates?
I do not think that is the intent. I think the intent is to get them to be stronger in their current jobs. But if that makes them more marketable in other jobs, then certainly, yes.
So, usually these are executive education kind of programmes, and what is the tenure?
Yes, they are non-degree. The programmes that we are offering for now are eight-week programmes for now, with two of those weeks in-person for the senior-most leaders. For emerging leaders, there is usually one week in-person. We believe it’s important for participants to be on campus, experiencing Stanford firsthand.
It’s a good two to three hours per day, though some coursework can be combined into a single day. It’s not all live classes—some sessions are live, while others are self-paced work. We are also about to offer a whole new series that is going to be mostly online.
How many courses do you run each year and how many participants do you usually have per class?
Right now, we are running two courses a year. This is very early in our journey—we’ve just begun. Both courses so far have been pilot programmes, moving ahead full steam. We have about 30 to 60 participants per class. We could accommodate more, especially with AI, but we intentionally kept the numbers small in the early stages.
There are already many institutes offering AI programmes. What makes yours unique?
Yes, but we are Stanford, and our location and structure set us apart. First, we’re in Silicon Valley, right in the heart of the AI activity, surrounded by energy and talent. While there is amazing AI work happening globally, a lot is concentrated here.
Second, Stanford is highly multidisciplinary. On one campus, we have engineering, health and medicine, business, design, sustainability, and law schools—all interacting. Even a one- or two-week visit immerses participants in this rich environment, where AI intersects with multiple disciplines. I don’t know many institutions with this kind of integrated approach.
There are concerns that AI might take over many jobs. Are there similar concerns in your domain?
We’re not overly worried about that. This comes up frequently, and one of my favourite quotes—originally from Sam Gambhir—captures it: “AI will not replace physicians; it will replace physicians who do not use AI.” The key is the combination of physicians leveraging AI effectively.
We’re already seeing very positive outcomes in our pilot programmes. Physicians report that AI is helping them spend more time with patients and less on administrative tasks.
Can you give some examples of how physicians are using AI?
Sure, two examples that even impact my own life:
- Clinician notes: In the U.S., a lot of a doctor’s time—especially in primary care—is spent on note-taking on the computer, which reduces patient interaction. We use ambient voice AI technology to record and generate notes automatically. Physicians then just skim them for accuracy, and the results have been amazing.
- Electronic health record management (ChatEHR): Physicians can now query a patient’s entire electronic health record—including visits to multiple specialists—to personalize care plans quickly and accurately. This is particularly useful for patients with multiple conditions, like cardiac issues, diabetes, or post-surgical care. AI makes this process much faster, more efficient, and more precise than manually reviewing records.
These examples show how AI is enhancing clinical work rather than replacing it, helping physicians focus on what matters most: patient care.
What is the Precision Health Programme?
The Precision Health Programme at Stanford initially focused on developing and scaling genomic data collection for patients. The goal was to make it more affordable, meaningful, and scalable. But now, we’re using genomics at even higher levels of personalisation.
For instance, with pharmacogenomics, we can determine which drugs are best suited to a patient’s genomic profile.
On top of that, we’re exploring behaviour change interventions in combination with drug treatments. In recent independent studies, including ones on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, we found that behavioural modifications significantly improved outcomes.
How hard is it for immigrants to find jobs in the medical industry in the US these days?
For physicians, it is challenging because of the US-based training and licensing requirements. Unless immigrants have completed their medical degrees abroad and then trained and got licensed in the US, it becomes a more complicated process. For nurses, the process is also somewhat complex, especially as many positions are unionised. On the research front, however, the situation is a bit different.
