A practicing physician at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Khalid Nawab has long been fascinated by the intersection of health care and technology. After years of self-study and online courses, he decided he wanted to get a formal education in artificial intelligence.
“My goal was to understand AI and its application,” said Nawab, a hospitalist in internal medicine. “My plan is to work in AI in health care research, to come up with ideas and apply and test them.”
Learning without leaving the front lines
For Nawab, leaving his patients and his community in central Pennsylvania wasn’t an option.
He decided to study AI online through Penn State, which allowed him to continue working full-time and apply what he was learning immediately, turning theory into practice in clinical settings. He graduated with a master’s in artificial intelligence.
“I was able to continue working full-time,” Nawab said. “What it enabled me to do was to think of ideas where AI can be applied in my daily clinical work. I also became more involved in discussions with the informatics team and sort of became the default person for anything related to AI thanks to my online education.”
Turning knowledge into impact
The impact has been tangible.
Nawab has already published research on AI in health care during his degree and plans to continue innovating in the field. His ability to bridge medicine and technology positions him — and Pennsylvania’s health care workforce — for the future.
“As the gap between health care and technology is closing, we will need people who understand both sides, and I want to be one of them,” Nawab said. “I feel I am better equipped to take on such a role.”
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