Excessive use of LLMs by postgraduate medical students: An academic disaster!

Abstract

Postgraduate medical training requires trainees to balance multiple roles as learners, clinicians, researchers, and educators while developing clinical competence and academic expertise. The increasing availability of artificial intelligence (AI)-based large language models (LLMs) has significantly influenced postgraduate education by facilitating seminar preparation, clinical documentation, academic communication, research activities, and knowledge retrieval. While these tools enhance efficiency and provide rapid access to organized information, their growing use raises concerns regarding overreliance and its potential impact on critical thinking, clinical reasoning, independent decision-making, and scientific inquiry. This commentary discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with AI use in postgraduate medical education and emphasizes that AI should function as an educational aid rather than a substitute for cognitive engagement. The development of structured guidelines and responsible regulatory frameworks is essential to ensure that the benefits of AI are harnessed while preserving the core educational objectives of postgraduate medical training.