Will AI replace clinicians?
It's more than just getting the right answer
What makes you great at your job?
Is it the grades you got?
Is it how many tests you’ve passed?
Earlier this year the world was going crazy over chatGPT passing the medical board exams. They came to the conclusion that AI could assist with medical education, and possibly, clinical decision-making. The authors state:
“Impressively, ChatGPT was able to achieve this result without specialized input from human trainers. Furthermore, ChatGPT displayed comprehensible reasoning and valid clinical insights, lending increased confidence to trust and explainability. Our study suggests that large language models such as ChatGPT may potentially assist human learners in a medical education setting, as a prelude to future integration into clinical decision-making.”
Color me impressed! But let’s go back to the original question I asked.
What makes us great at our jobs?
What makes most of us great at our jobs is what we do with information. I am pretty sure I could pass the USMLE with an internet connection but that does not make me a Physician.
When I worked in the clinic I was always asked random questions about medications by physicians and nurses. Sometimes it would take me less than 5 minutes to come up with the answer. Could they have looked it up on their own? Yes, they definitely could have. But I bring expertise and understanding that goes past the answer. I know what questions to ask and clarify the request. I also, know how to effectively deliver the information once it is found.
That is what makes me good at my job. I will be honest 90% of the time I didn’t know the answers. I knew where to look.
This is why AI will not replace clinicians anytime soon. Getting the right answer is only the beginning.
I will leave you with one more question. Who would you want to deliver the news of a cancer diagnosis to you or a family member?
A robot or a human?
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