AI, Healthcare, and the Future of Occupational Therapy Education

Photo by cottonbro studio


There’s a distinct moment in every profession when the tides begin to shift. What we’ve always done no longer feels quite enough, and what’s coming next starts to take shape just on the horizon. That moment is now, especially in healthcare education. Artificial Intelligence is the wave.

At University of the Pacific OT, we want students to be curious, creative, and prepared. We want them to not only keep up with the future of healthcare but help lead it. That’s why we’ve leaned into AI, not as a replacement for connection, but as a tool to deepen learning and amplify human-centered care.

AI is a tool, and not a replacement for building clinical knowledge. OT students need to learn how to use AI, but more importantly, they need to be able to state why it matters clinically. It's not enough to use technology. They must be able to tie it back to outcomes, performance, and the people they serve.

What if students could walk through a body system in 3D, seeing organs respond to movement? What if they could test their clinical decision-making with AI-generated case studies that adapt in real time? What if they could fail safely, reflect, and grow, all before they ever step into a clinic?

We’ve asked those questions, and more importantly, we’ve found answers.

Our students are using virtual reality to understand complex anatomy and augmented reality to visualize function. They’re engaging with clinical reasoning tools that adjust scenarios based on their choices. And through it all, they’re becoming more confident, more competent, and more compassionate practitioners.

Students at University of the Pacific also learn how to use AI with both low-cost and high-cost options, making sure they are equipped to meet the needs of all communities. Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. It just has to be accessible, practical, and meaningful.

This is not about taking shortcuts. It’s about sharpening our instincts, reinforcing what we know, and expanding what we thought was possible. The goal is not to replace the therapeutic relationship. It’s to enhance it by ensuring our students are prepared with knowledge and perspective.

We still teach with our hearts. We still value human connection. But we are also committed to growth, to evolution, and to preparing clinicians who will carry this profession forward.

AI is not the future. It is the now. Our OTD program ensures that we teach students to use AI ethically and with a clinician’s mind.

Author: Natalie A. Perkins, University of the Pacific, OTD Program

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