Artificial Intelligence in Military Medicine: USU Leaders Highlight the Future of Health Education

Panelists at the AMSUS annual meeting discussed how the responsible integration of artificial intelligence will shape the next generation of military health professionals.

March 6, 2026 by Sharon Holland

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping medicine, research, and education, and leaders from the Uniformed Services University (USU) say preparing the next generation of military health professionals to use these tools responsibly will be critical to the future of military medicine.

This message was the focal point of a panel discussion hosted by USU at the recent annual meeting of AMSUS, the Society of Federal Health Professionals. During the session, faculty and researchers explored how artificial intelligence is transforming both health sciences education and operational medical care.

Aligning Digital Strategy with National Priorities

Dr. James Nash, dean of USU's College of Allied Health Sciences, opened the AMSUS session by highlighting the university's expanding role in integrating emerging digital technologies into military medical training. Nash emphasized USU's status as the nation's federal health sciences university.

"USU is the nation's federal health sciences university," Nash said. "Our mission has always been to ensure the right medical force is ready to provide care to military members and their families around the world. Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool in achieving that mission."

Founded in 1972, USU educates future physicians, advanced practice nurses and dentists, scientists, and enlisted medical personnel who serve across the Military Health System, with campuses in Bethesda, Maryland, and San Antonio, Texas. As healthcare technology evolves, USU leaders say the university is actively aligning its digital strategy with broader national priorities, including the National Security Strategy, the Military Health System Strategy, and the Department of War's ongoing digital transformation initiatives.

"Our goal is to ensure that by 2028, USU is recognized internationally as a leader in digital health sciences education, research, and leadership," Nash said. "Digital tools and artificial intelligence will be critical to achieving that vision."

Key Innovations in Military Health AI

Panelist Lt. Col. (Dr.) Brian Kirkwood, an Army comprehensive dentist assigned to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, shared how his work developing AI-assisted medical technologies is helping expand the capabilities of clinicians operating in battlefield environments.

Kirkwood became involved in artificial intelligence research in 2020 while working with engineers to explore new technologies that could support clinicians during mass casualty events or in austere environments.

"As a dentist, I have a broad set of clinical skills-managing bleeding, suturing, providing emergency care," Kirkwood explained. "The question became: how can technology extend those skills when resources are limited?"

That collaboration led to the development of an AI-enhanced medical device designed to help guide clinical interventions in complex environments. The project ultimately propelled Kirkwood into deeper research on artificial intelligence and its application in healthcare.

Today, his doctoral research focuses on generative AI and how synthetic dental radiographs can be used to train and improve clinical AI models-an emerging area that could help overcome limitations in medical imaging datasets.

Another panelist, Lt. Col. Joshua Duncan, assistant dean for Assessment in the USU School of Medicine, described how artificial intelligence is also reshaping the way future physicians are educated.

Duncan explained that his work sits at the intersection of medical education and informatics, integrating data and AI-driven analytics into USU's evolving competency-based medical education model to better understand how students learn and tailor instruction to individual needs.

"We're moving toward precision education," he said. "Using data allows us to understand where learners are succeeding, where they need support, and how to personalize training in ways that simply weren't possible before."

Augmenting Human Expertise and Critical Thinking

A recurring theme among the panelists was that artificial intelligence functions as a tool to augment, rather than replace, human medical expertise. Nash drew a parallel to technological shifts in other fields, noting that when spreadsheets and Excel were introduced, many believed accountants would disappear.

"When spreadsheets and Excel were introduced, many people believed accountants would disappear," he said. "Instead, those tools made professionals more effective. Artificial intelligence will do the same in healthcare."

In other words, the future will favor clinicians, educators, and researchers who know how to work alongside intelligent systems.

For USU, integrating artificial intelligence into education and research is about preparing future military health leaders to operate in an increasingly digital and data-driven healthcare environment.

Panelists emphasized that doing so requires students to learn not only how to use AI tools, but also how to interpret and apply the information they produce responsibly.

Air Force Maj. Nathan Stevenson, an assistant professor in USU's Graduate School of Nursing, emphasized the importance of evaluating AI outputs.

"It's thinking about how we instill that critical thinking component and understanding the second and third order effects of the decisions that AI is recommending or proposing," Stevenson said. "It's really requiring us to fundamentally rewire how we think."

Nash reinforced that students require more than just the ability to search for data. "They need the ability to translate it, evaluate it, and apply it in ways that improve patient care and readiness," he said.

As the Military Health System advances its digital transformation, USU stands uniquely positioned to serve as an innovation hub at the intersection of medicine, education, and emerging technologies. Ultimately, artificial intelligence will play a central role in the future of military medicine-helping clinicians deliver better care, enabling researchers to accelerate discoveries, and ensuring the readiness of the force.