The Utilization of ChatGPT in Reshaping Future Medical Education and Learning Perspectives: A Curse or a Blessing?

Background: ChatGPT has substantial potential to revolutionize medical education. We aim to assess how medical students and laypeople evaluate information produced by ChatGPT compared to an evidence-based resource on the diagnosis and management of 5 common surgical conditions.

Methods: A 60-question anonymous online survey was distributed to third- and fourth-year U.S. medical students and laypeople to evaluate articles produced by ChatGPT and an evidence-based source on clarity, relevance, reliability, validity, organization, and comprehensiveness. Participants received 2 blinded articles, 1 from each source, for each surgical condition. Paired-sample t-tests were used to compare ratings between the 2 sources.

Results: Of 56 survey participants, 50.9% (n = 28) were U.S. medical students and 49.1% (n = 27) were from the general population. Medical students reported that ChatGPT articles displayed significantly more clarity (appendicitis: 4.39 vs 3.89, = .020; diverticulitis: 4.54 vs 3.68, < .001; SBO 4.43 vs 3.79, = .003; GI bleed: 4.36 vs 3.93, = .020) and better organization (diverticulitis: 4.36 vs 3.68, = .021; SBO: 4.39 vs 3.82, = .033) than the evidence-based source. However, for all 5 conditions, medical students found evidence-based passages to be more comprehensive than ChatGPT articles (cholecystitis: 4.04 vs 3.36, = .009; appendicitis: 4.07 vs 3.36, = .015; diverticulitis: 4.07 vs 3.36, = .015; small bowel obstruction: 4.11 vs 3.54, = .030; upper GI bleed: 4.11 vs 3.29, = .003).

Conclusion: Medical students perceived ChatGPT articles to be clearer and better organized than evidence-based sources on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of 5 common surgical pathologies. However, evidence-based articles were rated as significantly more comprehensive.