By Joie N. Marhefka
As 2025 comes to an end, I am taking an opportunity to reflect on the year that was and look ahead to 2026. From my perspective as an educator, I am thinking of ways to ensure that we continue to prepare students for careers in 2026 and beyond. The following are a few things that are on my mind.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
In my 2023 year-end column, I wrote “One topic that it seems no one in education can stop talking about is artificial intelligence (AI), especially the use of ChatGPT.” This is true today more than ever. The majority of my students say they use AI on a regular basis. A couple of them are working on a project related to generative AI. Alumni have recently been telling me that they are using AI at work. Employers are asking for us to teach AI, as they are looking to hire graduates who are AI literate. I’ve been wrestling with how to include AI in my curriculum. While I have more questions than answers at this point, I am working on it. While I don’t think AI can replace humans, especially in fields like HTM, I think it can help us to work more efficiently, as long as we understand how and when to use it. Of course, ethical and regulatory questions need to be considered as well. My goal is to teach students how to use AI as a tool, while still making sure their fundamental skills are strong and that they can think critically. Â
IMPORTANCE OF SOFT/DURABLE SKILLS
While AI is a “hot topic” and has been mentioned by some employers as a skill they’d like prospective employees to have, by far the most common feedback from employers is that they want graduates to have strong communication and customer service skills. In the AI era, soft skills (also known as durable skills) including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership remain as important as ever. This has been on my mind as I strive to prepare my students for their future careers.
EMBRACING OPPORTUNITY
In addition to making sure my students have fundamental skills, AI skills, and durable skills by the time they graduate, I encourage them to take advantage of opportunities that could help them with their future careers. I am happy to report that this year’s students seem to be embracing this. In the fall semester, we visited Bayer Radiology and toured several local hospitals. We hosted a well-attended networking event with alumni and invited several guest speakers from various aspects of the industry. Next semester, a group of students is planning to attend a local HTM conference, and several students are participating in research projects. I’m glad to see that these students are taking advantage of opportunities to explore the HTM field beyond the classroom, build their networks and make their resumes shine.
RECRUITMENT
Finally, I am thinking about how we can recruit more students to the program and field. It’s widely known that the demand for HTM professionals is outpacing the number of people entering the field. I’m aiming to increase awareness of the field by talking to high school classes, attending career fairs and events, and using social media. My hope is that this will aid us in recruiting more students, leading to more graduates to fill these positions.Â
I’ll keep AI, durable skills, opportunity, and recruitment in mind as I look ahead to 2026. In the meantime, I hope we can all find a little time to relax and enjoy the holidays. That way, we can jump into 2026 with renewed energy to address these challenges and ensure a bright future in HTM!
