Writing in medical education in the era of generative artificial intelligence.

Recommendations for fostering creativity and critical thinking in a generative AI-assisted learning environment.

Authors

  • Luis Department of Medicine, Dermatology and Toxicology, University of Valladolid, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Río Hortega University Hospital, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0151-5420
  • Miguel Marcos Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Salamanca University Hospital, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1269-4487
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.708901
Keywords: Generative Artificial Intelligence, Medical Education, medical writing, Critical thinking, AI fluency, deep learning

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming medical education. Its implementation is creating both opportunities and risks for the development of fundamental competencies in future healthcare professionals. One of the skills at risk with the use of this technology is the ability to write, an essential component for developing critical thinking, clinical reasoning and communication skills in students. This ability is particularly vulnerable to the automated use of this technology, as students may delegate writing to the tool, leading to cognitive offloading, an illusion of competence and dependency. This position paper, based on a narrative review of the literature and expert consensus between the authors, proposes a set of ten recommendations to optimize the use of GenAI in writing tasks while preserving the generative role of the learner. The recommendations include the need to write before turning to the tool, the use of Socratic tutoring rather than direct questions, the crafting of specific prompts, verification through specialized search engines, collaborative writing, process documentation, recognition of GenAI limitations, ethical transparency and metacognitive self-assessment. The article also provides guidance for faculty on the design and evaluation of writing tasks in this new context, along with two institutional recommendations on curricular training in GenAI and the establishment of university governance frameworks. The transformative potential of GenAI in medical education can only be realized when students remain the protagonists of their own learning, leveraging the tool to enhance their capabilities rather than delegating to it as a substitute.

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Author Biographies

Luis, Department of Medicine, Dermatology and Toxicology, University of Valladolid, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Río Hortega University Hospital, Spain

Luis Corral-Gudino is a permanent faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Dermatology and Toxicology at the University of Valladolid and a specialist in Internal Medicine at Río Hortega University Hospital. His work combines clinical practice, university teaching, and research. He has developed scientific work in areas such as internal medicine, with special attention to Paget’s disease of bone, inflammatory diseases, the use of immunosuppressants in COVID-19, and frailty, and he also participates in innovation and medical education projects linked to the use of artificial intelligence.

Miguel Marcos, Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Salamanca University Hospital, Spain

Miguel Marcos Martín is Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Salamanca and an Internal Medicine specialist at Salamanca University Hospital. He is also affiliated with the Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL). His academic and research work has focused on alcohol-related disorders, metabolism, the immune system, and more recently on new technologies and artificial intelligence applied to biomedicine. He combines clinical practice, university teaching, and biomedical research.

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Published
24-04-2026
How to Cite
Luis, & Marcos, M. (2026). Writing in medical education in the era of generative artificial intelligence.: Recommendations for fostering creativity and critical thinking in a generative AI-assisted learning environment. Spanish Journal of Medical Education, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.708901
Issue
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): Spanish Journal of Medical Education
Section
Special articles

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