Utilization and perception of generative artificial intelligence by medical students in residency applications

After completing medical school in the United States, most students apply to residency programs to progress in their training. The residency application process contains numerous writing sections, including the personal statement, curriculum vitae, and “impactful experiences” section. This study’s purpose is to investigate the perception of third and fourth-year medical students on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and its influence on the residency application process. We developed a 13-question survey using the REDCap application to explore participants’ educational background, year in school, preferred medical specialty, and perception of current or potential use of GenAI within residency applications. More than half of the responders have already used or plan to use GenAI for assistance in developing their personal statements for their applications. A considerable percentage (43.3%) will use GenAI to edit/modify a draft of the personal statement. More than half of survey participants believe that in the future, GenAI may alter the significance program directors place on letters of recommendation (LORs) in their selection criteria for deciding who to interview and select. Our survey results indicate that a number of students are either using or are receptive to the idea of using GenAI to draft or refine certain components of their residency application, such as the personal statement and impactful experiences section. As the application of GenAI expands, in-person interactions in the evaluation of candidates may become increasingly critical, and although personal statements and LORs are currently significant components of the residency application, their future roles remain a question.