T-CAIREM delivers a weeklong Healthcare of the Future Bootcamp to Ontario high-school students
T-CAIREM held its first "Healthcare of the Future Bootcamp: Introducing AI to Tomorrow's Doctors, Nurses, and Coders" in March 2025 for nearly 40 Ontario high-school students. The bootcamp for students in grades 10, 11, and 12 took place during the province's March break week. Participants learned how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare and received hands-on training in this exciting field from University of Toronto medical and graduate students Gemma Postill, Anglin Dent, Abhishek Moturu, and Samantha Unger.
"We were so impressed by the students’ dedication, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning about AI in healthcare!," said Dent.
The weeklong bootcamp consisted of interactive online workshops for the first four days and concluded with an in-person event at the University of Toronto's downtown campus. At the in-person event, participants presented AI models they developed using synthetic healthcare data.
During the bootcamp, students were introduced to general concepts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, along with the Python programming language used to develop AI medical applications. They were also taught how to evaluate, develop, and deploy computer models in clinical practice. Additionally, the students discussed the ethical implications of using AI in medicine.
"I really enjoyed learning about the medical field with AI innovation," wrote one participant in the post-bootcamp feedback survey. "I also loved learning about Python, as this was my first time exploring it. I never knew coding was used in the medical field, so this was a completely new experience for me, and I had a really fun time!"
On the final day, Dr. Vinyas Harish, a graduating MD/PhD student at the University of Toronto, delivered a keynote presentation to the participants. He shared his journey into medicine and how AI is being used to enhance surgical outcomes, help hospitals operate more efficiently, and assist public health officials in addressing global health challenges.
Participants came from over 20 different high schools, including Agincourt Collegiate, Earl of March Secondary, Harbord Collegiate, Lester B. Pearson Collegiate, Northview Heights Secondary, Winston Churchill Collegiate, York Mills Collegiate, and many others.
"This was the first time we've ever held a bootcamp for high-school students, and the response has been fantastic," said co-mentor Gemma Postill. "If this is any indication of the talent that will be enrolling in medical school in a few years, the future of Artificial Intelligence looks bright."
