Practical AI in Medicine with Jason Strelzow

The Upper Hand Podcast dives into the transformative role of AI in medicine with Dr. Jason Strelzow, a hand surgeon and self-described 'AI savant' at Washington University. The conversation reveals that AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a present-day tool reshaping clinical workflows—from ambient listening systems that auto-generate medical notes to AI-powered research assistants that automate CV updates and grant writing. Strelzow emphasizes that while AI excels at summarizing, predicting, and organizing information, it lacks human judgment and experience, making it a powerful but secondary tool. The episode confronts pressing ethical dilemmas: liability for AI-generated billing errors, the risk of hallucinated research papers, and the danger of over-reliance on AI in clinical decision-making. Despite these risks, the consensus is clear—AI should augment, not replace, physicians. The most striking insight? AI is already changing how doctors work, but the real challenge lies in mastering its use without surrendering clinical responsibility. Key takeaways include the importance of precise prompting to get accurate medical answers, the growing adoption of ambient listening tools (with 30% usage in orthopedics at WashU), and the urgent need for policy updates to keep pace with AI’s rapid evolution. The hosts also highlight that AI is not a replacement for mentorship—when in doubt, surgeons still call trusted colleagues, not chatbots.