Faculty members in medical schools are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in drafting letters of recommendation (LORs) for students applying to residency programs. This trend is highlighted by Lisa Daniels Torrisi, MD, clerkship director for critical care medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Daniels Torrisi, who initially struggled with grammar and clarity in her drafts, began using Microsoft Copilot after her husband suggested it. The AI not only polished her notes but also transformed her bullet points into coherent paragraphs. Now, she routinely uploads her notes into AI systems to produce cleaner versions of her letters, which she then edits before submission.
This practice resonates with many faculty members who often face overwhelming workloads, needing to write dozens of residency letters each year, alongside letters for fellowship applications and faculty promotions. “Faculty come to me saying, ‘I don’t have enough time’ to produce the carefully crafted recommendations that students deserve,” said Michael Kozak, MEd, an IT instructional designer at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. As a solution, some are using AI to create initial drafts or edit existing ones, which they believe enhances the quality of the letters.
Despite the efficiency AI brings, the use of these tools raises ethical questions, particularly concerning the privacy of student data. Dana Dunleavy, PhD, senior director of admissions and selection research and development at the AAMC, expressed concern, stating, “We don’t want to see people uploading someone’s Facebook profile into an AI tool and saying, ‘Go write about this person.’” Faculty members are taking precautions by avoiding the inclusion of identifiable student information when using publicly available AI tools, with some institutions seeking AI systems that protect students’ data.
Traditionally, faculty often relied on templates or previous letters as guides, which allowed for a quicker composition process but often resulted in generic LORs. Ronald Rodriguez, MD, PhD, a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, explained that he previously modified old letters by changing names and adding observations, but this method still required significant time and effort. Now, by inputting details about students into AI tools in a freeform manner, he can generate organized drafts in a matter of seconds. “AI can organize those thoughts more effectively than most of us can,” he noted.
Even with the promise of AI, there remain unanswered questions about the quality of AI-generated letters. Robert Snedegar, MD, assistant professor at West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine, initially sought to prove that AI could not produce better letters than he could. However, after conducting a small study, he found that faculty rated AI-assisted letters as superior in terms of professionalism and coherence. While he acknowledged that the study’s scope was limited, he believed the results underscored the potential value of AI in crafting recommendation letters.
As the landscape of academic writing evolves with AI, the need for human oversight remains paramount. Faculty members like Kozak emphasize the importance of personalizing AI-generated content to ensure accuracy. “I’m going to do my due diligence to personalize it, to enhance it,” he said. Transparency in the use of AI tools is also critical, with faculty encouraged to communicate their use of AI in letter writing to students and institutions alike.
While the benefits of AI in drafting LORs are becoming clearer, the ethical considerations surrounding privacy and authenticity require careful navigation. As many medical schools continue to explore the integration of AI into their processes, establishing clear guidelines on its use will be essential to safeguard both student data and the personal touch in these critical endorsements. The trend suggests that AI could not only streamline the writing process but also enhance the quality of recommendation letters, provided that faculty maintain a strong oversight role.
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