Dr. Sathish Muthu, Orthopaedic Research Group, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: drsathishmuthu@gmail.com
“Apart from being an astute clinician and a skilled surgeon, does this world want me to be a good writer too?” - frowned one of our colleagues as we were discussing the importance of documentation and publishing to ascertain one’s position in academia. Many of us could relate to his pain. Well, the pleasant part is that we might have a new relief drug. Optimists would describe it as a wonder drug. Pessimists would disregard even its presence. We can’t, however, deny the fact that it is creating a loud noise in academia [1-7]. Let us try to understand reality and foresee the future by interacting with the hero himself, the ChatGPT. Authors: How would you describe yourself? ChatGPT: “As an AI language model, I am a computer program designed to process and generate human-like text based on the input I receive. I don’t possess personal experiences, emotions, or consciousness. However, I have been trained on a vast amount of data and have access to a wide range of information. My purpose is to assist users like you by providing information, answering questions, and engaging in conversation on various topics. While I strive to be helpful and accurate, it’s important to remember that my responses are generated based on patterns and data, and I don’t have subjective thoughts or opinions.” Authors: What will be your role in medical manuscript writing? ChatGPT: “As an AI language model, my role in medical manuscript writing is to provide assistance and support throughout the writing process. Here’s how I can contribute: 1. Generating Ideas: I can help generate ideas for research topics, hypotheses, and potential directions for your medical manuscript. 2. Literature Review: I can assist in conducting literature searches and providing summaries, abstracts, or excerpts from relevant scientific articles to support your research. 3. Outlining and Structure: I can help you develop a clear and logical outline for your manuscript, ensuring that it follows the standard structure and includes all the necessary sections. 4. Writing Assistance: I can assist with writing various sections of your manuscript, such as the introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. I can provide suggestions, improve clarity, rephrase sentences, and offer alternative word choices. 5. Fact-Checking and Referencing: I can help ensure the accuracy of the information presented in your manuscript and assist with proper referencing and citation formatting according to the specified style. 6. Language and Grammar: I can help refine the language, grammar, and style of your manuscript, making it clear, concise, and coherent. I can identify and correct grammatical errors, improve sentence structure, and enhance the overall readability of the text. 7. Revision and Editing: I can review and provide feedback on your manuscript, offering suggestions for improvement, identifying areas that require further clarification, and helping you address any issues raised during the review process. It's important to note that while I can provide valuable assistance, I am an AI language model and not a substitute for professional medical expertise or the guidance of experienced researchers and clinicians. It is essential to have your manuscript reviewed by subject matter experts and follow the guidelines and requirements of your target journal to ensure the highest quality and accuracy of your work.” Authors: What are your limitations in medical manuscript writing? ChatGPT: “While I can provide valuable assistance in medical manuscript writing, it's important to be aware of my limitations: 1. Lack of Current Research: My training data only goes up until September 2021, so I may not be aware of the latest scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, or changes in medical guidelines that have occurred since then. It’s crucial to consult recent and reliable sources to ensure the accuracy and up-to-date nature of your manuscript. 2. Interpretation of Individual Cases: Medical manuscript writing often involves analyzing individual patient cases or data. As an AI, I lack access to specific patient information and cannot provide personalized medical advice or interpret individual cases. Always consult with medical professionals for personalized guidance. 3. Limited Contextual Understanding: While I have a broad knowledge base, I may not fully understand the specific context or nuances of your research. It’s important to provide detailed and specific information to ensure accurate and relevant assistance. 4. Journal-Specific Guidelines: Each journal has its own specific formatting and submission requirements. Although I can provide general guidance on manuscript structure and formatting, it is essential to consult the guidelines of your target journal and follow their instructions for submission. 5. Peer Review: Peer review is a critical part of the manuscript writing process. While I can offer suggestions and provide feedback on your manuscript, it is important to have your work reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure its scientific validity, accuracy, and adherence to ethical standards. 6. Legal and Ethical Considerations: Medical research often involves ethical and legal considerations, such as patient privacy, informed consent, and regulatory requirements. It is crucial to consult relevant guidelines, ethical boards, and legal experts to ensure compliance with the appropriate regulations. Remember, while I can be a helpful tool in medical manuscript writing, it is essential to collaborate with domain experts, seek guidance from experienced researchers or clinicians, and follow the established scientific practices and guidelines in your field.” Authors: Where do you see yourself in the future in medical manuscript writing? ChatGPT: “In the future, I see myself continuing to evolve and improve in supporting medical manuscript writing. Here are a few potential developments: 1. Up-to-Date Knowledge: I will strive to have access to more recent and updated medical research and information, allowing me to provide more current and relevant assistance in medical manuscript writing. 2. Improved Understanding of Context: I aim to enhance my understanding of the specific context and nuances of medical research, enabling me to provide more accurate and tailored guidance to researchers. 3. Integration of Research Tools: I may incorporate research tools and databases into my capabilities, allowing researchers to access and analyze relevant scientific literature more efficiently and effectively. 4. Enhanced Language and Writing Skills: I will continue to refine my language generation capabilities, ensuring more natural and coherent writing assistance. I will also improve my ability to understand and adapt to different writing styles and adhere to specific journal guidelines. 5. Collaboration with Experts: I may collaborate with domain experts, including researchers, clinicians, and journal editors, to incorporate their insights and feedback into my assistance. This collaborative approach can help ensure that my contributions align with the expectations and standards of the medical research community. Ethical Considerations: I will continue to prioritize ethical considerations in medical manuscript writing, including patient privacy, data protection, and adherence to ethical guidelines. I will provide appropriate disclaimers and encourage users to seek professional advice when dealing with sensitive or individual-specific medical informationThose It’s important to note that while I can evolve and improve, I will always be an AI language model, and my role will complement human expertise rather than replace it. Collaborating with human researchers, clinicians, and journal editors will remain essential to ensure the highest quality and ethical standards in medical manuscript writing.” Those were clear and good responses for a novice AI chat box like ChatGPT. The answers are formal and coherent. We admire and respect the disclaimer at the end of each answer. With Bard and Bing, the competition is building, and we can expect a real wonder drug for manuscript writing in the near future. This being said, the current state of affairs concerning the use of ChatGPT in manuscript writing is not very helpful. It might very well be at the level of writing only a boring blog post from our initial trials. And, of course, we had to give a disappointing “Yes” to our colleague’s question. Yes, to ascertain our position in academia and, in a good sense, to help build academia, clinicians should be good writers as well.
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