Artificial intelligence software can generate residency application personal statements that program directors find acceptable and difficult to distinguish from applicant compositions

Abstract

Study objectiveCreate personal statements using an artificial intelligence program for anesthesiology residency applications that residency program directors rate as acceptable. Study designGenerate two personal statements and survey program directors. SettingAnesthesiology residency training programs. InterventionsWe instructed ChatGPT, a new artificial-intelligence software program, to generate two 400-word personal statements using the common applicant experiences of involvement in athletics or gourmet cooking. MethodsWe sent the generated personal statements to anesthesia program directors and asked them if the statements were acceptable for application to their individual programs, to rate them as poor, good, or excellent, and determine if they could detect anything in the statements that indicated they were not written by an applicant. MeasurementsNinety-four program directors received and opened the survey, and 31 responded. Twenty-eight (90%) responding directors found the personal statement with athletic experience acceptable, with 22 (74%) rating it as good or excellent. Nineteen (61%) program directors did not detect anything in the statement to distinguish it from an applicant-written composition. Twenty-nine (97%) program directors found the personal statement with cooking experience acceptable, with 19 (63%) finding it good or excellent. Twenty-four (80%) directors did not detect anything in the statement to distinguish it from an applicant-written composition. ConclusionsChatGPT can create personal statements for residency applications that program directors find acceptable and difficult to differentiate from personally crafted statements. Applicants may stop using expensive contractor application services and start using artificial intelligence software to create their personal statements because of its quickness, low cost, and high quality.