Personal Statement Research Articles

Artificial Intelligence-Generated Writing in the ERAS Personal Statement: An Emerging Quandary for Post-graduate Medical Education.

This study was designed to investigate if artificial intelligence (AI) detection software can determine the use of AI in personal statements for residency applications. Previously written personal statements were collected from physicians who had already matched to residency through the Electronic Residency Application System. Physicians were recruited for the study through collegial relationships and were given study information via email. The study team constructed five parallel statements from the shared personal statements to prompt AI to create a personal statement of similar content. An online AI detection tool, GPTZero, was used to assess all the personal statements. Statistical analyses were conducted using R. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Pearson correlations were used to assess the data. Eight physicians' statements were compared to eight AI-generated statements. GPTZero was able to correctly identify AI-generated writing, assigning them significantly higher AI probability scores compared to human-authored essays. Human-generated statements were considered more readable, used shorter words with fewer syllables, and had more sentences compared to AI-generated essays. Longer average sentence length, low readability scores, and high SAT word percentages were strongly associated with AI-generated essays. This study shows the capacity of GPTZero to distinguish human-created versus AI-generated writing. Use of AI can pose significant ethical challenges and carries a risk of inadvertent harm to certain applicants and erosion of trust in the application process. Authors suggest standardization of protocol regarding the use of AI prior to its integration in post-graduate medical education.

Embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the Career Curricula

The United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for addressing global challenges, linking environmental sustainability to individual and social well-being and social justice. This article explores how embedding the SDGs into career development can enhance career exploration and contribute to a sustainable future. Drawing on experiences from teaching a senior career capstone course, it highlights strategies for integrating the SDGs into career interventions. Key components include developing personal mission statements, researching organizations, analyzing future work trends, and conducting informational interviews. The article also presents evidence of the course's impact on students' thinking and provides practical advice for implementation.

Commentary: Can ChatGPT Fool the Match? Artificial Intelligence Personal Statements for Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: A Comparative Study.

Commentary: Can ChatGPT Fool the Match? Artificial Intelligence Personal Statements for Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: A Comparative Study.

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

The use of large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to prepare health professions admissions applications is increasing. These tools can improve writing significantly but raise ethical concerns about application authenticity. This scoping review explored the literature on use of AI by applicants applying to health professions programs and by admission reviewers. Following Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a search was conducted in multiple databases, which identified 1706 citations. After screening, 18 articles were included. Articles included in the review focused on the (1) use of AI to screen applicants or predict ranking and interview invitations, (2) ethical implications of AI-generated personal statements, (3) potential to detect AI-generated applications, and (4) use of AI to write or analyze letters of reference. AI tools can enhance the efficiency of the admissions review process, but clear guidelines are required to address ethical issues. Further research is needed, particularly in nursing education.

Will Courts Accept or Dismiss Expert Accounting Testimony? The Case of James v. Trump

ABSTRACT This paper uses the court records in the recent civil litigation in New York over Donald Trump’s personal financial statements to consider factors that affect how courts view expert accounting testimony. It also discusses common approaches attorneys use to try to limit or discredit expert testimony and suggests critical factors for forensic accountants to consider. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: M41; M42; M49.

Comparison of physical activity and leisure benefits of Turkish and Polish students participating in the Erasmus program in Poland

This study aims to compare the personal statements of Turkish and Polish students in the Erasmus Student Exchange Program in Poland, focusing on the benefits of physical activity and leisure time. It also examines how these practices function among Turkish and Polish students within the framework of EU Higher Education Policies. Since 2004, Turkey has participated in EU programs like Socrates, Erasmus, and Leonardo da Vinci. Although Turkey’s involvement in the Erasmus Program is relatively recent, the number of students participating in study abroad programs is rapidly increasing. This study investigates the benefits of physical activity and leisure time for Turkish and Polish students in the Erasmus Program. Data was collected using the "International Physical Activity Questionnaire" and the "Leisure Time Utilization Scale." These tools were administered online to 60 students (30 Turkish and 30 Polish) living in Poland. Participants provided informed consent before participating. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The analysis showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of physical activity participation and leisure activities. Both groups preferred similar physical activities during their free time. The recreational activities they tried for the first time were mainly sports-related, and their ability to meet their recreational needs was similar.

Understanding Barriers to STEM: Teachers' Insights on African American Underrepresentation

This study focuses on the development of a measurement instrument to identify Middle and High School mathematics and science teachers’ beliefs about the main factors of underrepresentation of African American students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. The research method using the stages of instrument development were (1) test design which involved construction of initial item pool by conducting extensive review of literature and coding of participating teachers personal statements (2) determination of validity which involved expert review process to confirm construct and face validity of items, (3) pilot testing which involved collecting data from a second set of participants, (4) determination of reliability which involves conducting a reliability analysis based on data collected from pilot testing and (5) determination of factorial structure which involved Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to identify underlying factors in participating teachers’ belief structures. First, to obtain trustworthy information, voluntary middle and high school mathematics and science teachers were asked to write personal statements where they explain their main reasons for choosing teaching as a career. Secondly, qualitative data obtained from participating teachers’ personal statements were coded. Coding was applied to identify and to group the phrases or sentences that convey the same or similar reasons. Then results from an extensive literature review on this topic were blended in teachers’ common expressions which were determined because of coding procedure. Then 8 content experts assessed content validity and face validity. Finally, the survey was piloted to African American middle and high school mathematics and science teachers. Fifty-three (53) surveys were completed and received back from teachers. Then, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify any underlying factors in the scale. Reliability analyses were also conducted for both the entire survey and for each of the factors. Results of the study suggested four underlying components: (1) Access and Resources, (2) Role Models and Representation, (3) Bias and Discrimination, (4) Curriculum and Pedagogy.

A Trainee's Guide: Crafting a Personal Statement for Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Applications.

A Trainee's Guide: Crafting a Personal Statement for Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Applications.

Large Language Model Use in Radiology Residency Applications: Unwelcomed but Inevitable

ObjectiveThis study explores radiology program directors’ perspectives on the impact of large language model (LLM) use among residency applicants to craft personal statements. MethodsEight program directors from the Radiology Residency Education Research Alliance participated in a mixed-methods study, which included a survey regarding impressions of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated personal statements and focus group discussions (July 2023). Each director reviewed four personal statement variations for five applicants, blinded to author type: the original and three Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer-4.0 (GPT) versions generated with varying prompts, aggregated for analysis. A 5-point Likert scale surveyed the writing quality, including voice, clarity, engagement, organization, and perceived origin of each statement. An experienced qualitative researcher facilitated focus group discussions. Data analysis was performed using a rapid analytic approach with a coding template capturing key areas related to residency applications. ResultsGPT-generated statement ratings were more often average or worse in quality (56%, 268 of 475) than ratings of human-authored statements(29% [45 of 160]). Although reviewers were not confident in their ability to distinguish the origin of personal statements, they did so reliably and consistently, identifying the human-authored personal statements at 95% (38 of 40) as probably or definitely original. Focus group discussions highlighted the inevitable use of AI in crafting personal statements and concerns about its impact on the authenticity and the value of the personal statement in residency selections. Program directors were divided on the appropriate use and regulation of AI. DiscussionRadiology residency program directors rated LLM-generated personal statements as lower in quality and expressed concern about the loss of the applicant’s voice but acknowledged the inevitability of increased AI use in the generation of application statements.

Does using artificial intelligence take the person out of personal statements? We can't tell

BackgroundUse of artificial intelligence to generate personal statements for residency is currently not permitted but is difficult to monitor. This study sought to evaluate the ability of surgical residency application reviewers to identify artificial intelligence–generated personal statements and to understand perceptions of this practice. MethodsThree personal statements were generated using ChatGPT, and 3 were written by medical students who previously matched into surgery residency. Blinded participants at a single institution were instructed to read all personal statements and identify which were generated by artificial intelligence; they then completed a survey exploring their opinions regarding artificial intelligence use. ResultsOf the 30 participants, 50% were faculty (n = 15) and 50% were residents (n = 15). Overall, experience ranged from 0 to 20 years (median, 2 years; interquartile range, 1–6.25 years). Artificial intelligence–derived personal statements were identified correctly only 59% of the time, with 3 (10%) participants identifying all the artificial intelligence–derived personal statements correctly. Artificial intelligence–generated personal statements were labeled as the best 60% of the time and the worst 43.3% of the time. When asked whether artificial intelligence use should be allowed in personal statements writing, 66.7% (n = 20) said no and 30% (n = 9) said yes. When asked if the use of artificial intelligence would impact their opinion of an applicant, 80% (n = 24) said yes, and 20% (n = 6) said no. When survey questions and ability to identify artificial intelligence–generated personal statements were evaluated by faculty/resident status and experience, no differences were noted (P > .05). ConclusionThis study shows that surgical faculty and residents cannot reliably identify artificial intelligence–generated personal statements and that concerns exist regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on the application process.

Gender Differences in Letters of Recommendations and Personal Statements for Neurotology Fellowship over 10 Years: A Deep Learning Linguistic Analysis.

Personal statements (PSs) and letters of recommendation (LORs) are critical components of the neurotology fellowship application process but can be subject to implicit biases. This study evaluated general and deep learning linguistic differences between the applicant genders over a 10-year span. Retrospective cohort. Two institutions. PSs and LORs were collected from 2014 to 2023 from two institutions. The Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) natural language processing (NLP) package was used to compare the positive or negative sentiment in LORs and PSs. Next, the deep learning tool, Empath, categorized the text into scores, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed for comparisons between applicant gender. Among 177 applicants over 10 years, 120 were males and 57 were females. There were no differences in word count or VADER sentiment scores between genders for both LORs and PSs. However, among Empath sentiment categories, male applicants had more words of trust ( p = 0.03) and leadership ( p = 0.002) in LORs. Temporally, the trends show a consistently higher VADER sentiment and Empath "trust" and "leader" in male LORs from 2014 to 2019, after which there was no statistical significance in sentiment scores between genders, and females even have higher scores of trust and leadership in 2023. Linguistic content overall favored male applicants because they were more frequently described as trustworthy and leaders. However, the temporal analysis of linguistic differences between male and female applicants found an encouraging trend suggesting a reduction of gender bias in recent years, mirroring an increased composition of women in neurotology over time.

Ethics of Writing Personal Statements and Letters of Recommendations with Large Language Models

Ethics of Writing Personal Statements and Letters of Recommendations with Large Language Models

White Americans report more positive than negative affect after writing a personal diversity statement.

White Americans report more positive than negative affect after writing a personal diversity statement.

Can ChatGPT Fool the Match? Artificial Intelligence Personal Statements for Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Personal statements can be decisive in Canadian residency applications. With the rise in AI technology, ethical concerns regarding authenticity and originality become more pressing. This study explores the capability of ChatGPT in producing personal statements for plastic surgery residency that match the quality of statements written by successful applicants. Methods: ChatGPT was utilized to generate a cohort of personal statements for CaRMS (Canadian Residency Matching Service) to compare with previously successful Plastic Surgery applications. Each AI-generated and human-written statement was randomized and anonymized prior to assessment. Two retired members of the plastic surgery residency selection committee from the University of British Columbia, evaluated these on a 0 to 10 scale and provided a binary response judging whether each statement was AI or human written. Statistical analysis included Welch 2-sample t tests and Cohen's Kappa for agreement. Results: Twenty-two personal statements (11 AI-generated by ChatGPT and 11 human-written) were evaluated. The overall mean scores were 7.48 (SD 0.932) and 7.68 (SD 0.716), respectively, with no significant difference between AI and human groups ( P = .4129). The average accuracy in distinguishing between human and AI letters was 65.9%. The Cohen's Kappa value was 0.374. Conclusions: ChatGPT can generate personal statements for plastic surgery residency applications with quality indistinguishable from human-written counterparts, as evidenced by the lack of significant scoring difference and moderate accuracy in discrimination by experienced surgeons. These findings highlight the evolving role of AI and the need for updated evaluative criteria or guidelines in the residency application process.

Differences in levels of knowledge of FSTP students (Faculty of Science, Technology, and Education) and FEB (Faculty of Economics and Business) Muhammadiyah Lamongan University about criteria halal of skincare products

Skincare has become a daily necessity for students especially Muslims, who must pay attention to the halalness of the skincare products used, because it has been regulated in Islam regarding halal and haram consumption. Student knowledge greatly influences halal in the selection of skincare products to be used. This study aims to determine the difference in the level of knowledge of FSTP and FEB students at Muhammadiyah Lamongan University. The research design used is descriptive comparative with purposive sampling technique. Data collection was carried out prospectively, from collecting questionnaire data that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research instrument used was a closed questionnaire consisting of respondents' personal data and statements related to the criteria for halal skincare products. The results obtained from this study are the level of knowledge in the good category at FSTP as much as 60.52% and FEB as much as 76.6%, the sufficient category at FSTP as much as 38.6% and FEB as much as 21.28%, the poor category at FSTP as much as 0 .88% and FEB as much as 1.12%. The data obtained was then processed using SPSS with the Mann Whitney Test and obtained a p-value of 0.063 (> 0.05). In conclusion, there is a significant difference between the level of knowledge of FSTP and FEB regarding the criteria for halal skincare products.

The Legal Research Methodology as a Method for Researching in Business Area: A Case Study Applied to Gymnasiums

Abstract: Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to understand how the analysis of laws and jurisprudence influences the decisions of gym managers in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, the Portuguese tax law was investigated, particularly the Value Added Tax law and additional legal dispositions. It also researches the arbitral case law related to nutrition consulting in sports activity companies. Findings – The nutrition consultation is considered a medical act subject to the legal disposition of article 9º of the Value Added Tax Code, which means that when the medical service is provided by a professional, the beneficiary of the services can benefit from the VAT exemption. This disposition observes the European Union Directive 2006/112/EC of the European Council. Nevertheless, when a nutritionist provides these services through an entity that offers sports activities like gyms, some doubts are raised because it can be considered that nutritional monitoring has no therapeutic purpose. Customers could not benefit from the VAT exemption if some conditions were not observed. The arbitral tax court has been considering that it needs to keep some requirements for that exemption could be applied to the gym services. In several cases, fulfilling the conditions is complex and generates litigation between the Portuguese Tax Authority and gyms. In the personal sphere, there are two possibilities for the service's recognition i) if the service is recognized as a consultation, it could benefit as a medical expense in the personal income tax statement; ii) if it is not considered as a medical expense, each person can deduct 15% of the VAT in the same statement. Originality: This paper demonstrates the role that court rulings play in clarifying day-to-day issues for managers. It also shows that laws and court rulings are an essential source of data in management research. Research limitations/implications – This study only analyses the Portuguese case, it could be interesting to study other countries that do not apply the value-added tax law.

“Oh my phone, I can't live without you”: a phenomenological study of nomophobia among college students

PurposePrevious studies have identified concerns and anxiety in individuals who are without their mobile phones, which is known as nomophobia, an acronym for “no mobile phone phobia.” However, there is currently limited evidence of qualitative research that explores nomophobia. The purpose of this study is to explore personal experiences and individual meanings associated with mobile phone use and nomophobia.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, the present study employed a Heideggerian phenomenological approach to investigate the issue. Ten college students, who have medium to high nomophobia were selected as respondents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, which were then transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.FindingsA deep understanding of the psychological dynamics, experiences, meanings, perceptions and beliefs of individuals regarding smartphone use can only be explored through a qualitative approach that presents personal statements of individuals through in-depth semi-structured interviews. This study contributes to a deep understanding of the psychological dynamic of nomophobia.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has limitations that must be carefully considered. First, the respondents came from a university with a sample size of 10 people, which may not fully represent the phenomenon of nomophobia among students due to differences in cultural and academic backgrounds. However, we addressed this limitation by selecting only students who scored moderate to high levels of nomophobia. Second, the researchers acknowledge that the sample used in the study may not be fully representative of the broader target population or a larger group, as previously mentioned. Therefore, generalizing the findings of this research must be done carefully, being cautious and thoughtful to avoid hasty conclusions.Practical implicationsIn the functional context, it is recommended for individuals to be more mindful of their smartphone usage and strive to strike a balance between utilizing their device's capabilities for productive purposes and avoiding excessive dependency that may lead to distractions or information overload. This includes limiting excessive smartphone usage for entertainment purposes, restricting aimless and irrelevant Internet browsing and implementing effective time management when using smartphones. For smartphone users from the ontological context, the advice is to critically evaluate their digital presence and ensure that their online activities align with their true values and self-perception, promoting responsible and ethical smartphone use. Engaging in fasting or break sessions by completely turning off the smartphone at specific times and utilizing that time for activities such as reading books, writing and engaging in spiritual practices, or exercising is also advisable. In the anthropomorphic context, individuals are advised to reflect on the potential emotional dependence on their smartphones and consider establishing healthy boundaries to avoid excessive reliance on these devices to fulfill emotional needs. One practical recommendation is to engage in self-reflection, where individuals take some time to ponder their smartphone usage patterns and emotional attachment to the device. They should ask themselves why they feel the need to constantly check their phone and how it impacts their emotions and overall well-being.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a deep understanding of the psychological dynamics of nomophobia by exploring the experiences, meanings, perceptions, and beliefs of individuals regarding smartphone use.

Understanding the Ideological Force of Graduate Application Materials: A Rhetorical Genre Study of Personal Statement Prompts

This study draws on Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS) to examine the role of personal statement prompts in promoting or hindering the effectiveness of holistic review in graduate applications. Our analysis reveals that the content articulated in the personal statement prompts help to reify four ideological values held by the discipline. Through the framing of these ideological values, users are positioned into two major social roles: disciplinary expert and expert-in-training. We argue that, for holistic review to be effective, graduate programs must reconcile the tension between personal statement prompts that demand the writer take on contradictory social roles.

The use of Intermediaries (communication specialists) at Parole Board oral hearings in England and Wales

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find out what role intermediaries have in facilitating communication with victims and prisoners at Parole Board (PB) oral hearings.Design/methodology/approachA survey was designed and administered to 39 PB members to find out their perceptions of, and experiences with, the use of intermediaries. Frequency tables and verbatim quotations are used to report the results.FindingsOverall, participants had not experienced any use of intermediaries with victims or family members presenting victim personal statements at an oral hearing. Further, there had been limited use of intermediaries for prisoners attending oral hearings. Nevertheless, there was a good recognition of a range of communication needs that a prisoner might present with at a hearing. There was also general support for the use of intermediaries with some caution about possible delays to procedural fairness.Practical implicationsThe early identification of communication support needs for prisoners and victims attending an oral hearing is essential. The PB should raise awareness with the PB Membership about the role of intermediaries. The PB should continue to develop guidance and policy surrounding intermediaries. Prison lawyers and HM Prison and Probation Service may require specialist training in identifying communication needs in vulnerable prisoners and identifying when a communication specialist might be required for an oral hearing.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first published paper examining the role of intermediaries at PB oral hearings. It builds on the evidence base of the use of intermediaries in other criminal justice contexts.

How is a Generically Personal Statement Born?

The paper analyzes generalizing statements written by children (7–11 years old) and explores features that distinguish typifying statements from generically personal ones. The former are characterized by generalization of time and subject of the sentence, the latter are specified not only by time and subject generalization, but also by the inclusive speaker. The paper proves the idea that generically personal statements (e. g. proverbs) acquire an ethical value because the speaker is potentially included in both participants of a personal conflict. Generically personal statements can be formulated not only in relation to a human being per se, but also to a class of living nature. This becomes possible if there is some correlation with human beings (“our smaller brethren”, “living creatures”, etc.). Based on the material of children`s essays, the paper examines deviations in the “process of generalization”, and traces generalization skills development as they are held in age dynamics. The ways of generalization of a living being/person are: unsubstituted nominal positions, generalizing and demonstrative pronouns, full-nominal vocabulary (generic nouns, adjectives used without nouns), relative clauses, idiomatic designations. Generalization vocabulary skills of older children correlate with their mastery of syntactic techniques. The paper also discusses the role of pronouns and adjectives used without a noun, as manifestations of the covert category of person and a category of animacy.