Artificial Intelligence and Admissions to Health Professions Educational Programs: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Medical Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Background:

• Increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) in preparing health professions admissions applications.
• AI tools offer significant writing improvements but raise ethical concerns about application authenticity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of the literature on AI use by health professions applicants and admissions reviewers.
• To explore the current landscape and ethical considerations of AI in admissions.

Main Methods:

• Adherence to Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-Scoping Review guidelines.
• Comprehensive database search yielding 1706 citations.
• Final selection of 18 articles for review.

Main Results:

• AI applications in admissions screening and prediction of outcomes.
• Ethical implications of AI-generated personal statements and detection methods.
• Use of AI in writing and analyzing letters of reference.

Conclusions:

• AI can improve admissions review efficiency but necessitates clear ethical guidelines.
• Further research is crucial, especially within nursing education.
• Addressing authenticity and ethical use of AI in admissions is paramount.