Performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in Solving Questions Based on Core Concepts in Cardiovascular Physiology

Background Medical students often struggle to apply previously learned concepts to new situations, such as cardiovascular physiology. ChatGPT, an AI chatbot trained through deep learning, can analyze basic problems and produce human-like language in various subjects. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are given to students by many medical schools before exams, but due to time constraints, instructors frequently lack the resources necessary to adequately explain the practice questions. Even when given, the explanations might not give students sufficient information to grasp the concepts completely. This study aimed to examine ChatGPT's ability to solve various reasoning problems based on the core concepts of cardiovascular physiology. Materials and methods Multiple-choice questions were presented manually to both chatbots (ChatGPT-4 and ChatGPT-3.5), and the answers generated were compared with the faculty-led answer key using various statistical tests. Results The accuracy rates of ChatGPT-4 and ChatGPT-3.5 were 83.33% and 60%, respectively, which were statistically significant. Compared to ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4's explanation of the response was substantially more appropriate. The execution of ChatGPT-4 was better than ChatGPT-3.5 in certain core concept areas like mass balance (75% vs. 50%), scientific reasoning (60% vs. 40%), and homeostasis (100% vs. 66.67%). Conclusion When it came to responding to concept-based questions about cardiovascular physiology, ChatGPT-4 outperformed ChatGPT-3.5. However, to ensure accuracy, faculty members should review the generated explanations, and thus, the growing application of generative AI in the form of virtual-assisted learning approaches in medical education needs to be carefully considered.