Using ChatGPT for medical school applications can seem appealing due to its convenience, but relying on AI tools alone poses significant risks to applicants, including the potential for being flagged for academic dishonesty and being rejected from schools. While ChatGPT can assist with brainstorming or editing, it lacks the personalization and expertise required for a standout application. Human guidance from experts, particularly during key phases like personal statements or reviewing med school interview questions, is essential for success. But that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage AI in a responsible, minimal way during your application.
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Should I Use ChatGPT for My Med School Application?
Artificial intelligence – especially ChatGPT – has become prevalent in nearly every part of our lives, this is especially true for those in post-secondary! While we won’t deny that AI can be a valuable tool, it’s important to ask: should you use ChatGPT for something as important as your medical school applications?
Our take: It’s risky. Just like relying on forums like premed Reddit to get trusted advice, using an AI inappropriately for your med school applications can do more harm than good. We’ll break down some of the risks associated with using ChatGPT for med school applications:
AI-Generated Content Can Be Flagged
One of the most significant risks of using ChatGPT to help write your personal statements, essays, or other components of your medical school application is that it could be flagged as AI-generated. Many schools are beginning to implement systems to detect content produced by AI tools. While it’s important to mention that sometimes, these tools are AI themselves and can present biases (i.e. they can flag non-AI content as AI), it’s still a huge risk to submit an entirely AI-written application component. To mitigate this risk, you should write your statement and essays yourself, using your own personal (but professional) writing style and voice. If anything, AI is a great tool for editing.
If an application is flagged, the student risks being penalized or even rejected from the program.
Admissions committees are increasingly aware of the rise of AI in writing, especially when it comes to secondary essays or personal statement submissions. Even though tools like ChatGPT can produce grammatically correct content quickly, the risk of being flagged is something no applicant should overlook. Nobody wants to face medical school rejection…especially if the sole reason is due using AI instead of dedicating your time to preparing a genuine piece of writing. This brings us to our next risk…
AI Lacks Personalization and Authenticity
Medical school applications require you to tell your story. This means you’ll need to reflect and communicate why you’re passionate about becoming a doctor, your personal motivations, and the unique experiences that have shaped your journey. AI, no matter how advanced, cannot replicate your genuine, personal touch and tone that admissions committees look for.
ChatGPT can indeed produce content that sounds polished and ‘correct’, but this content often lacks the depth and nuance that comes from your own experiences. As we noted above, admissions committees are trained to spot inauthentic writing, and using AI could lead to generic essays that lack personality and fail to resonate with your reader, and result in your application being tossed aside.
Bias and Inaccuracy in AI Responses
Another risk to consider is the possibility of bias or inaccuracy in the content generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. There’s no dancing around the fact that ChatGPT can make mistakes and provide inaccurate or outdated information…or, information that was influenced by biased sources. This could result in errors in your application that not only weaken your argument but also damage your credibility as a serious candidate.
When working on something significant, like your med school adversity essay, MCAT prep, or reviewing MMI interview questions, accuracy and reliability are non-negotiable. The risk of including biased or factually incorrect information in your application—or utilizing such information to help you prepare for further steps in your application process—is another reason to be cautious when using AI.
AI Can't Replace Human Expertise
One of the most important things to understand about using ChatGPT for your med school application process is that sometimes, you really do need a trusted human to review your application, or help you prepare for interviews with nuanced, unbiased feedback.
For instance, an experienced med school admissions consultant knows how to frame your story in a way that resonates with specific programs, whereas AI may provide inauthentic and generic feedback. Human experts understand the intricacies of the application process and can tailor their advice to your individual needs:
“While today we worked on medical school application documents, I have worked previously with Dr. Henry in various BeMo sessions covering Casper content, MCAT prep, and other document reviews. What stands out with Dr. Henry's prep sessions is [his] attention to detail and ability to simplify and condense main takeaways. For example, I can quickly grasp how to improve my Casper responses with Dr. Henry's clear instruction and feedback.” – Helen, Former BeMo Student
ChatGPT’s Potential Role in Med School Applications
Despite the cons and risks associated with AI and using ChatGPT for your med school applications, we feel it’s important to review some of the pros, or, ways that you could utilize ChatGPT responsibly, if you wished to do so.
Here are a few areas where AI might be useful to you as a premed:
- Brainstorming Personal Statement Ideas: ChatGPT can be used to generate ideas or prompts when you’re feeling stuck. The more information you provide, the better the output. But remember, AI can be an inspiration…it should never be the final product.
- Drafting Essays: ChatGPT can help you create an outline or give basic feedback about the flow of your essays. It cannot replace a human, but if you’ve already worked with one, completed a few drafts of your essay, and received quality feedback, then ChatGPT could be a way to ensure your essay is perfect.
- Editing for Grammar and Structure: ChatGPT can be used to clean up grammar mistakes; it can also make suggestions and help improve your structure.
Not sure how to feel about AI? Think of it like this: A painter needs a brush to create art, but the tool alone can't do the work—it’s only as effective as the artist using it.
ChatGPT can certainly be a helpful tool, but it should never become a crutch.
Med School Application: The Difference Human Advice and Expertise Makes
The most effective way to use ChatGPT (if you choose to use it at all) is in combination with feedback from experienced professionals. As we mentioned above, you can use AI to assist with smaller, more mechanical tasks like grammar checks, but for the more critical components of your application, you should always consult a trusted expert for guidance. Here are a few ways that human advice can help your med school application:
Personalization and Tailoring to Specific Programs
A human can provide feedback tailored to you and your goals (and needs) as a premed. Whether that involves refining your AMCAS personal statement, chatting about your meaningful experiences in life that have led you to med school (and how they can benefit your application), navigating your application platform, like OMSAS, practicing your CASPer questions and answers or reviewing your MCAT prep questions and study routine. A human touch is imperative for all of these things…and more.
For example, a consultant familiar with the nuances of TMU's MD program (and their holistic application process) can offer guidance to help you stand out as an individual that ChatGPT simply can’t provide.
Navigating the Interview Process
We mentioned it before, but it’s so crucial, we’ll say it again: your interview is a BIG deal, and can make-or-break your future as a med student. You need to spend adequate time preparing for med school interviews so you can be calm, collected, and an absolute rockstar on your interview day!
While ChatGPT might generate potential interview questions or help you script answers, it can’t simulate the real pressure and unpredictability of an interview. It can’t provide feedback on your body language or verbiage when you respond, either. It may also provide you with outdated or incorrect questions, which will, essentially, cause a ton of stress for you on interview day and jeopardize your future.
Working with a consultant or practicing with peers allows you to engage in mock interviews where you receive live feedback on your performance.
Final Thoughts: Balance Is Key
AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, but when it comes to something as important as your medical school application, balance is key. ChatGPT can be useful in certain areas, but it should never replace the personal touch, insight, and expertise that come from working with real people. Whether it's refining your essays, preparing for interviews, or seeking advice on your application strategy, medical school admissions consultants offer invaluable guidance that AI cannot provide.
While ChatGPT has its place in modern education (and even in medicine itself), it's essential to recognize its limitations and use it cautiously. Your medical school application is too important to leave in the (non-existent) hands of AI alone; working with a human on your application will pay dividends!
FAQs
1. Can I use ChatGPT for my medical school application?
Using ChatGPT for your medical school application comes with risks like being flagged for AI-generated content. It’s best to rely on human expertise for personalization and authenticity and ONLY use ChatGPT as a tool to help with grammar or brainstorming.
2. Will medical schools know if I use ChatGPT for my application?
Some schools have systems to detect AI-generated content. If your application is flagged, it could result in rejection, so it’s safer to use your own voice and consult with experts.
3. Can ChatGPT write my medical school personal statement?
While ChatGPT can generate a draft or help you organize ideas, it’s important to avoid using AI to fully write your personal statement. Admissions committees value your unique story, which AI cannot accurately capture.
4. Can ChatGPT help with medical school secondary essays?
ChatGPT can assist with outlining and basic grammar, but secondary essays need to reflect your unique experiences, something AI may struggle to capture. If anything, you may wish to use AI as a last step to ensure your work is error-free.
5. What are the risks of using ChatGPT for medical school applications?
Risks include being flagged for AI-generated content, lack of personalization, and inaccuracies in your application, which can harm your chances of acceptance.
6. Why is human feedback important for medical school applications?
Human feedback will be tailored to you, ensuring your personal statement and application are aligned with what admissions committees look for. Every school and program are different, just as every applicant has unique skills and experiences that make them a great fit; only humans should be providing you with program-specific application advice.
7. Can ChatGPT prepare me for medical school interviews?
While ChatGPT can generate practice questions, it can’t replicate the pressure of real interviews or provide live feedback on your performance like a human consultant can. The questions AI provides may also be incorrect!
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