In this episode of The Healthcast, host Phil Zappone sits down with Dr. Bei Zhang, an MD-PhD educator working at the intersection of pathology, medical education, and healthcare innovation.

Dr. Zhang shares how a lifelong curiosity about living things led her to pathology—a field where biology and detective work come together to uncover how and why disease develops. She also reflects on her early passion for teaching, the mentors who shaped her career, and why she views education as both a privilege and a responsibility.

The conversation explores where traditional medical education is struggling to keep pace with a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Dr. Zhang explains why future physicians need more than clinical knowledge: they must learn how to filter overwhelming amounts of information, understand emerging technologies, collaborate across disciplines, and apply what they learn in authentic patient-care settings.
Phil and Dr. Zhang also discuss online education, virtual patient simulations, barriers to innovation within academic medicine, and the importance of introducing patient-centered learning from the beginning of medical school.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, Dr. Zhang describes AI as a powerful but “wild horse”—capable of taking healthcare and education to extraordinary places, but only when both the technology and its users are properly trained. She shares how she incorporates AI into learning sessions with her students to strengthen their questioning skills and critical thinking rather than allowing the technology to replace the learning process.

Episode Chapters
00:48 – What drew Dr. Zhang to medicine and pathology
01:34 – Discovering a passion for teaching and innovation
04:42 – The teachers and mentors who shaped her career
07:35 – Why pathology is essential to patient care
08:51 – Finding personal purpose through teaching
11:50 – Where traditional medical education is falling behind
12:49 – Building a strong foundation for future physicians
15:06 – The skills today’s medical students need
17:19 – The lasting impact of online medical education
19:08 – AI as a powerful but “wild” tool
21:01 – The biggest barriers to educational innovation
23:24 – Bridging classroom learning and clinical practice
25:14 – Virtual patients and practice-based learning platforms
27:17 – Redesigning physician training around the patient
31:13 – Why medical schools must invest more in educators
32:43 – The greatest opportunity and challenge facing healthcare education
33:56 – Bringing students, teachers, and AI into the same learning session

Episode Resources:
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bei-zhang-96235b3a/

Check out what I do helping small businesses here:
Website | https://nxaihealth.com/
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-zappone-647957379/

Thank you for watching, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe!