Chatgpt vs traditional pedagogy: a comparative study in urological learning

Purpose: Technological evolution is radically changing medical learning models. We evaluated the learning outcomes of urological concepts using ChatGPT, traditional lecture and combined approach. Methods: We conducted a randomized triple-blind study on 121 medical students with no previous formal curriculum in urology. Students were randomly divided into three study classes with different learning methods: ChatGPT, Lecture and ChatGPT + Lecture. The "adrenal glands" were randomly extracted as the subject of the lessons. Students were evaluated using a thirty-question test. Results: The evaluation test median score was higher for students who underwent ChatGPT + Lecture compared with those who had only ChatGPT (10 vs. 12, p = 0.007). Such differences remained statistically significant also in multivariable models adjusting according to year of course, gender and previous ChatGPT experience (estimate: 2.6, p-value = 0.002). For most of the questions (about 70%), the proportion of students correctly answering was higher in the ChatGPT + Lecture learning groups than in the other groups. Conclusion: ChatGPT loses its potential if used without a previous background. The limits of scientific reliability persist and a teacher-guided method is still essential. ChatGPT + traditional lecture gives more effective results than the single traditional lecture also allowing a better use of the chatbot.