Detailed Guidelines for Students Use of Generative AI

We recognize that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the landscape of healthcare and education. To prepare our students for this evolving landscape, we provide the following guidance on the responsible and effective use of AI tools in your studies.

I. Core Principles for Student Use of AI

As a student in a health sciences program, you are expected to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, ethical conduct, and academic integrity. The following principles should guide your use of AI tools:

  • Responsibility: You are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of any work you submit, even if AI tools were used in its preparation. AI-generated content should be critically evaluated and verified.
  • Transparency: Be transparent about how you use AI tools in your academic work. Cite the use of AI in accordance with accepted citation styles.
  • Ethical Use: Use AI tools in a manner that is consistent with the ethical principles of your profession, including respecting patient privacy, maintaining confidentiality, and avoiding bias.
  • Patient Safety: Do not use AI tools in any way that could potentially compromise patient safety. AI should not be used to make clinical decisions without appropriate supervision and verification.
  • Lifelong Learning: Use AI as a tool to enhance your learning and critical thinking skills, preparing you for a future of lifelong learning in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. Many traditional tools also exist to support your learning. 
  • Human-Centered Care: Remember that AI is a tool to augment, not replace, the human aspects of healthcare. Focus on developing your communication, empathy, and clinical skills to provide patient-centered care.

II. Permitted and Prohibited Uses of AI

To provide clarity on how AI tools can be used appropriately in your studies, the following guidelines apply:

  • Permitted Uses:
    • Information Gathering: AI tools can be used to gather information from reputable sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, and clinical guidelines. You can use AI to:
      • Identify relevant research articles on a specific topic.
      • Summarize key concepts from a chapter or article.
      • Find evidence-based information to support a clinical decision.
      • Example: You are preparing for a class discussion on a specific disease. You could use an AI tool to find recent articles on the disease's pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment options. You would then critically evaluate the information and cite the articles appropriately in your contributions to the discussion. Please note, AI frequently hallucinates sources.
    • Study Aids: AI tools can help you create study aids and materials, such as:
      • Summaries of lecture notes.
      • Flashcards for key terms and concepts.
      • Practice questions to test your knowledge.
      • Concept maps to visualize relationships between different topics.
      • Example: You are studying for an exam on the cardiovascular system. You could use an AI tool to generate a set of flashcards covering the major anatomical structures, physiological processes, and common pathologies. Your program may have a student-generated flashcard deck (Anki or Quizlet). The Library also has traditional published resources available in print and/or electronic access for study aids including Deja Review, Board Review Series, Exam Master, Lippincott’s Q&A, among many others.
    • Drafting Assistance: If allowed, AI tools can assist you in drafting written assignments, such as:
      • Outlining a research paper.
      • Improving the clarity and organization of your writing.
      • Checking grammar and spelling.
      • Example: You are writing a research paper on the efficacy of a new treatment for arthritis. You could use an AI tool to help you create an outline for the paper, ensuring that it has a logical structure and includes all the necessary sections. You would then write the paper yourself, using the outline as a guide, and properly cite all sources. The Center for Educational Enhancement also offers paper writing support services.
    • Simulations and Virtual Patients: AI can be used in simulations and virtual patient encounters to enhance your clinical skills training.
      • Interact with AI-generated virtual patients to practice history taking and physical exam skills.
      • Receive feedback from AI on your clinical decision-making in a simulated environment.
      • Example: You are participating in a virtual simulation of a patient with chest pain. You can use an AI-powered virtual patient to practice your history-taking skills, asking relevant questions to gather information about the patient's symptoms, risk factors, and medical history.*
  • Prohibited Uses:
    • Plagiarism: You may not submit AI-generated content as your own work. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will not be tolerated.
    • Unauthorized Assistance: You may not use AI tools to complete assignments, exams, or other assessments unless explicitly permitted by your instructor.
    • Clinical Decision-Making: You may not use AI tools to make clinical decisions about real patients. AI is not a substitute for your clinical judgment and should only be used under the supervision of qualified healthcare professionals.
    • Sharing Confidential Information: You may not input any patient information, including protected health information (PHI), into AI tools. This includes names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, and any other information that could be used to identify a patient.
    • Creating false or misleading information: You cannot use AI to generate false or misleading information, particularly in the context of healthcare.

III. Citing AI

When you use AI tools in your academic work, you must cite them appropriately. The citation should include the name of the AI tool, the version used, the date you accessed it, and a description of how you used the tool.

  • Example: "I used ChatGPT (GPT-4, Accessed March 10, 2025) to generate a summary of the key concepts in this article."

IV. Institutional Policies and Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to supplement, not replace, any existing policies or guidelines established by the University and your specific program. You are responsible for being aware of and adhering to all applicable policies.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can harness the power of AI to enhance your learning and prepare for a successful career in your chosen health profession while upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct.