Digital Transformation in Medical Education: A Narrative Review of Technologies, Integration, and Challenges

Digital transformation is fundamentally altering the structure and delivery of medical education through changes in educational technologies, teaching practices, and institutional processes. This narrative review synthesizes the literature on seven domains of digital transformation in medical education: artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, digital learning platforms and blended learning, telemedicine education, learning analytics, digital assessment, and mobile learning. Relevant literature published between 2015 and 2026 was identified through searches of Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, and findings were synthesized narratively. Across these domains, reported applications include personalized learning, clinical simulation, flexible access to educational resources, virtual clinical training, and digital assessment. However, the reported educational benefits vary across technologies and study outcomes. While some studies indicate improvements in knowledge acquisition and selected assessment outcomes, others primarily examine feasibility, usability, learner perceptions, and engagement. Evidence regarding sustained clinical competence and transfer of learning to clinical practice remains limited. The review highlights the importance of integrating digital technologies with curriculum development, digital competency development, faculty readiness, adequate infrastructure, and institutional support. Persistent barriers include resource constraints, unequal access, curriculum rigidity, technical limitations, and ethical and reliability concerns. Overall, digital transformation in medical education represents a systemic educational and organizational process rather than technology adoption alone. Sustainable implementation requires alignment between technological innovation, educational objectives, and institutional capacity, alongside rigorous evaluation of long-term educational outcomes.