Bridging the fields of engineering, medicine, and artificial intelligence, Jason Fink (DO ’27), is at the forefront of integrating AI into osteopathic medicine. As a research fellow at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, his journey began in engineering, where he saw firsthand how machine learning could enhance surgical precision, and developed a deep learning platform to improve outcomes in refractive eye surgeries.
In the lab where he worked, Fink advanced research in refractive and intraocular lens surgery, focusing on procedures like LASIK, PRK, SMILE and corneal crosslinking. His team integrated machine learning and deep learning to enhance surgical precision while keeping the work clinically relevant.
Now, as a DO student at PCOM, he is exploring how AI aligns with osteopathic medicine’s whole-person approach to patient care.
In intraocular lens and cataract surgery, selecting the right lens requires precise preoperative measurements, including total corneal astigmatism, which reflects the shape of both sides of the cornea. Measuring the posterior cornea is particularly challenging without specialized, expensive equipment, limiting access in some clinics.
As a research fellow, Fink developed a deep learning platform that accurately predicts total corneal astigmatism using only anterior cornea data—requiring just the patient’s age, plus the magnitude and axis of anterior astigmatism.
“If our predictions are more accurate than current methods, we could improve surgical outcomes by helping surgeons select better lenses, leading to sharper vision and fewer postoperative issues like halos, glare, and blurred vision,” Fink said.
However, building this model was not without its trials.
“The main challenge I faced in developing my deep learning platform was ensuring proper data handling and validation across a dataset of 19,468 eyes, which required performing numerous experiments with different model architectures to minimize potential biases in our predictions,” Fink said.
Prediction bias, he explained, can cause the model to misunderstand important patterns in the data or make incorrect predictions. To build a reliable model, it must go through repeated testing and adjustments to improve its accuracy.
Now as a second-year DO student, Fink recognizes a strong synergy between artificial intelligence and osteopathic medicine, where AI’s data analysis complements the whole-person approach to patient care. Drawn to PCOM’s focus on innovation and research, he hopes to combine his engineering background with medicine to drive new discoveries as a physician.
Beyond its technical capabilities, AI’s ability to integrate physical, emotional and social factors could further enhance holistic care. Fink acknowledged the challenges AI faces in interpreting the nuanced aspects of the human experience, and stresses its role should be to enhance, not replace, a doctor's whole-person care approach.
“AI’s role in health care goes beyond well-known Large Language Models (LLMs),” Fink said. “Its ability to support holistic care depends on training models with reliable data that can help doctors see connections between physical and emotional symptoms.”
AI can also expand access to advanced medical technologies, with open-source development playing a key role in ensuring these tools are accessible—helping bring innovative solutions to underserved areas.
“Deploying models on user-friendly platforms enables broader adoption and experimentation,” Fink said. “This collaborative development approach leads to transparency, trust, accessibility and clear communication of how the technology works while increasing the reach of AI.”
Looking ahead, Fink envisions AI supporting clinicians across specialties by streamlining workflows and improving procedural precision—and freeing physicians to focus more on the human-centered aspects of patient care.
“It is crucial that we develop these tools thoughtfully, ensuring they enhance rather than depersonalize the doctor-patient relationship, while carefully addressing concerns about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and clinical validation,” he said.
Fink hopes to inspire other medical students and residents to explore AI applications in health care, and as he continues his medical education, he remains dedicated to advancing AI-driven solutions that improve patient outcomes, enhance accessibility, and support osteopathic medicine’s holistic philosophy—while keeping the patient at the center of it all.
“For students and residents interested in AI applications in health care, there has never been a more exciting time to get involved,” Fink said. “Whether you are more interested in the technical development, clinical implementation, or research aspects, there is a way to contribute meaningfully to this growing field.”
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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