Decoding AI in Medical Students: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in the ChatGPT Era

Objective: The objective of this study is to gauge the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chat GPT use by medical students. Study design: A survey-based cross-sectional study. Study place and duration: The study was conducted at HBS Medical and Dental College over the span of three months (April 2024-June 2024). Methodology: A total of 190 medical students of 1st to Final Year MBBS were included in this study. A google form based validated questionnaire was filled and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Most participants were aged 15–20 years (58.4%), most students became aware of ChatGPT through friends/family (45.8%) or the internet (39.5%). While students largely recognized its academic capabilities—such as paraphrasing (90.5%), generating essays (94.7%), interpreting data (85.3%), and solving complex problems (91.1%), fewer knew it could format references (64.2%) or conduct site-specific searches (60%). Although 60% trusted ChatGPT’s reliability, misconceptions persisted, such as the belief that it retrieves real-time data (67.9%). Ethical use was acknowledged by 78.4%, and most (89%) viewed such tools as the “new normal.” Despite low institutional guidance (22.1%) and minimal prohibition (13.1%), 60.6% verified its outputs, and 61.6% intended continued use. Conclusion: The advent of ChatGPT represents a transformative moment in the academic realm, particularly within medical education. This study highlights that although medical students are eagerly embracing AI tools, there is a pressing need for structured guidance, clear ethical standards, and stronger critical thinking abilities to ensure their responsible use