Inspira Advantage recently surveyed 145 premed students and medical school applicants about their use of AI tools, their stress levels, and their views on the future of AI in medicine. Below is a clear breakdown of the survey’s findings.
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Key Findings
- 84.8% of respondents use AI tools in their med school admissions preparation
- Proofreading and editing essays is the number one AI use case, followed by tutoring and drafting personal statements
- ChatGPT is the preferred platform for 65.5% of respondents
- 84.1% believe AI improved the quality of their application
- 59.3% frequently feel overwhelmed by the application process
- Around 70% felt the need for therapy sometimes or very often during the admissions cycle
- Comfort with sharing mental health concerns with AI is evenly split
- 55.2% believe AI can help their mental health both during applications and later as physicians
- 66.2% say AI based skills will be essential for future doctors
- 81.4% believe physicians must understand AI limitations and risks
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AI Adoption in the Med School Admissions Process
AI has become a standard part of the admissions workflow. About 85% of respondents reported using AI in some capacity during their preparation. Only a small minority avoid AI altogether.
Most students feel the tools have a tangible benefit. Roughly 84% said AI improved the quality of their materials, whether through editing, idea generation, or helping them learn difficult concepts more efficiently.
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What Students Use AI For: Editing, Tutoring, and Application Drafting Lead
When asked how they use AI most often, respondents identified a clear set of top use cases:
- 28.3% use AI primarily for proofreading and editing
- 26.9% use AI as a tutor to explain difficult concepts
- 13.1% use AI mainly for drafting personal statements or essays
- 11% use AI to choose which schools to apply to
- 9.7% use AI to help with interview preparation
The remaining responses were small creative or niche uses, such as organizing experiences or generating resume phrasing.
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Nearly 66% of Students Rely on ChatGPT as Their Primary AI Tool
Among those who use AI, ChatGPT is the leading platform, chosen by 65.5% of respondents. Gemini (9.7%), Claude (8.3%), Perplexity (4.1%), and Grok (2.8%) follow at significantly lower levels.
This distribution shows that while applicants explore alternatives, most rely on ChatGPT as their core writing and study assistant.
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59% of Applicants Feel Overwhelmed Frequently During the Cycle
The survey shows that the emotional toll of applying to medical school is widespread and significant. 59.3% of respondents said they frequently feel overwhelmed during the admissions cycle, which means more than half of applicants experience sustained stress as they balance coursework, clinical hours, exam preparation, and application deadlines.
Another 31% feel overwhelmed occasionally, showing that even applicants who are otherwise confident or well prepared still experience regular spikes in stress. Only 6.9% rarely feel overwhelmed, and 2.8% never do, making them a very small minority.
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Almost 70% of Participants Felt the Need for Therapy During the Application Season
This emotional strain med school applicants feel often translates into a need for outside support. When asked whether they felt the need for therapy:
- 42.8% said sometimes
- 27.6% said very often
- 15.2% said rarely
- 14.5% said never
In total, 70% experienced at least some need for therapy while applying.
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Comfort With AI for Mental Health: Evenly Split Across the Spectrum
Considering the want for therapy and support, students were asked how comfortable they feel sharing sensitive mental health details with AI:
- 31% are not comfortable at all
- 24.8% are somewhat comfortable
- 19.3% are very comfortable
- 15.9% are not comfortable but used AI anyway
- 9% do not mind sharing but haven’t tried it
Overall, comfort and discomfort are nearly identical in size, with students distributed across all five categories.
55% Believe AI Can Support Their Mental Health in Both the Short and Long Term
When asked whether AI tools could help their mental health now and once they become physicians:
- 55.2% said AI can help in both stages
- 26.9% said AI cannot help
- 15.2% said AI may help during applications but not in practice
- 2.7% selected other nuanced responses
Most respondents view AI as having at least some potential benefit for stress management or emotional support
66.2% of Students Say AI Skills Will Be Essential for Future Doctors
Students increasingly expect AI to shape the clinical environment. Two-thirds of participants said they believe that learning AI based skills will be essential for their careers. The remaining third believe AI will stay in a supporting role.
81% of Applicants Believe Doctors Must Understand AI Limitations and Risks
Respondents overwhelmingly agree that physicians must understand how AI can fail. 81.4% said doctors should be aware of AI risks, including hallucinations, bias, data quality issues, and overreliance on automated results.
Many emphasized that while AI can help with efficiency, clinical responsibility and empathy must remain in human hands.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the survey reflects a generation of applicants who rely on AI throughout the admissions journey but do not fully trust it beyond practical tasks. Students report meaningful benefits for writing and studying, paired with high stress and a desire for human support when it comes to judgment, reassurance, and well-being. Their responses suggest that AI will keep shaping how they apply to medical school and how they eventually practice, even as they continue to question where it fits.
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ChatGPT
Perplexity
Grok
Claude
Copilot
Google AI
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