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

Abstract

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.