INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Artificial intelligence can already emulate human cognition and is utilized by physicians to customize patient treatment and perform robotic surgery. Now, two Texas institutions are joining medicine and AI with a dual degree offered to medical students.

UT Health San Antonio at San Antonio and UTSA established the first program in the country offering a dual degree — a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence.

“Whether we like it or not, it’s going to move forward. And it can either move forward with us driving the technology or us being driven by the technology,” says Dr. Ronald Rodriguez, a professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

AI already produces diagnostic algorithms from a machine-learning model and analyzes real-time surgical video.

“You can even use it in the operating room where you have a surgeon going in with a camera and then the AI is able to analyze what it sees on the camera feed,” said fourth-year medical student Niklesh Akula at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

This innovative dual degree is designed to nurture “out-of-the-box” thinking, which Rodriguez is already seeing.

“We’ve got a really robust group of first-years who have self-organized their own interest group, and are taking on new projects, largely self-initiated,” Rodriguez said.

Now he’s pursuing grants to involve high school students, after helping students like Akula.

“It has pushed me in a lot of ways that I didn’t even know I was capable of achieving, I guess,” Akula said.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm. They see the potential probably better than those of us that are older see it,” Rodriguez explained.

Artificial intelligence is expected to improve the overall patient experience and improve efficiency in hospital systems. And these graduates will be up to speed with innovative technology training.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.