The Role of ChatGPT in Personal Statements for Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: Program Directors' Perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Surgical Residency Admissions

Background:

• Personal statements are crucial for plastic surgery residency applications, yet are time-consuming to write.
• The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT for statement generation presents potential ethical challenges.
• Understanding program directors' views on AI in applications is vital for admissions processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess plastic surgery residency program directors' (PDs) perspectives on the importance of personal statements.
• To determine PDs' opinions on the ethical appropriateness of using ChatGPT in personal statement creation.
• To gauge PDs' confidence in detecting AI-assisted application materials.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous 6-question multiple-choice survey was distributed to 120 plastic surgery residency PDs.
• The survey was administered in three rounds using REDCap, with an additional email reminder.
• Data was collected and analyzed in aggregate.

Main Results:

• A 28.6% response rate was achieved. 73.5% of PDs consider personal statements important for interviewee selection and rank lists.
• 85.3% of PDs lack confidence in detecting ChatGPT use, and most residencies do not use AI-detection software.
• A significant majority (58.8%) believe ChatGPT use is unethical for personal statements, with only small percentages finding it appropriate for specific tasks like brainstorming or editing.

Conclusions:

• While AI can streamline application writing, its ethical implications are a major concern for plastic surgery residency admissions.
• The majority of surveyed PDs perceive the use of ChatGPT in personal statement writing as unethical.
• Further discussion and policy development are needed regarding AI tool usage in medical residency applications.