JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

ChatGPT, a Generative Pre-trained Transformer, has garnered global attention and sparked discussions since its introduction in early 2023. However, it has stirred controversy within the realms of medical education and scientific research. This paper focuses on exploring the potentials, challenges, and corresponding strategies associated with ChatGPT. ChatGPT offers personalized learning support to medical students through its robust natural language generation capabilities, enabling it to furnish answers. Moreover, it has demonstrated significant utility in simulating clinical scenarios, facilitating teaching and learning processes, and revitalizing medical education. Nevertheless, a myriad of challenges accompany these advancements. In the realm of education, it is imperative to prevent excessive reliance on ChatGPT and combat academic plagiarism. Similarly, in the medical domain, ensuring the timeliness, accuracy, and credibility of ChatGPT-generated content is crucial. Concurrently, ethical challenges and concerns regarding information security arise. In light of these challenges, this paper proposes targeted strategies. Firstly, mitigate the risk of over-reliance on ChatGPT and academic plagiarism through ideological education, fostering comprehensive competencies, and implementing diverse evaluation criteria. Embracing modern educational approaches alongside ChatGPT enhances the overall quality of medical education. Enhance the professionalism and reliability of the generated content by implementing measures such as optimizing ChatGPT's training data professionally and enhancing the transparency of the generation process. This ensures that the generated content aligns with the most recent standards of medical practice. Furthermore, enhancing value alignment and establishing relevant laws or codes of practice address ethical concerns, including algorithmic discrimination, medical responsibility allocation, privacy, and security. In conclusion, while ChatGPT presents significant potential in medical education, it also encounters various challenges. Through comprehensive research and the implementation of suitable strategies, it is anticipated that ChatGPT's positive impact on medical education will be harnessed, laying the groundwork for advancing the discipline and fostering the development of high-caliber medical professionals.