Generative AI · Education leadership

Actionable companion · Instructional improvement

From evidence to district action: Large language model use in oral and maxillofacial surgery training: a national resident survey

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. The district actions are proposed applications, not findings or recommendations attributed to the original authors. No additional peer review is asserted.

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Evidence and context

Health-professions education context: test transfer to K–12 rather than assuming it.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the linked source license:

Purpose Large language models (LLMs) are advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools capable of generating human-like text and are increasingly used in education, clinical care, and research. Little is known about their use within oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) training. This study investigates LLM usage trends, perceived value, and educational integration among OMFS residents in the United States. Methods A national, anonymous cross-sectional survey was distributed to OMFS residents via program directors. It gathered demographic data, LLM usage patterns, applications, perceived limitations, and attitudes toward incorporating LLMs into formal education. Results Eighty-one residents responded, 79.0% (64/81) reported having used an LLM, and of that group, 96.9% (62/64) use ChatGPT. 51.9% (42/81) of respondents used LLMs at least monthly in residency; however, 97.5% (79/81) reported having received no formal LLM education during residency. Residents used LLMs for clinical decision support, board preparation, research, and career planning. Free-text responses revealed a wide spectrum of views. Some advocated for curricular integration and patient education applications, while others questioned the need for formal instruction. Some respondents supported integrating LLMs into curriculums and patient education while others questioned the need for formal instruction. Conclusion LLMs are used frequently by OMFS residents for a variety of purposes. As AI and LLMs become embedded in healthcare, understanding how OMFS residents interact with LLMs is vital. These findings may guide curriculum development, fostering responsible and effective use of LLMs in surgical training and practice. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10006-026-01514-y.

A 90-day district pilot

  1. Days 1–15 · Appraise. Have the curriculum lead and a teacher read the methods and limitations. Record the study design, sample, comparator, outcomes and evidence gaps. Define a local question that the study can help inform.
  2. Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one instructional unit and a specific teacher-supervised AI use. Compare it with the existing approach using a common learning objective, equivalent tasks and a shared rubric. Name an accountable owner and set the baseline, success threshold and budget before implementation.
  3. Days 31–60 · Test. Start with a small voluntary cohort, preserve an accessible non-AI route and require teacher review. Use synthetic or de-identified examples; approve data handling and tool terms through district processes.
  4. Days 61–90 · Decide. Measure unaided learning on a new task, factual errors, student workload and teacher review time. Disaggregate results where group sizes permit responsible interpretation. Compare with baseline, document uncertainty and stop or revise if learning worsens, access is unequal or critical errors persist.

The board decision brief

Report the learning problem, evidence quality, participating population, total cost including review time, measured benefit, errors, access differences and remaining uncertainties. Make a dated recommendation to stop, revise or expand. A positive perception survey alone does not establish learning improvement.

Attribution and reuse

Nolan Kranc; Edwin M. Rojas; Jacob Wise; Patrick Mansour; Gavin Lyell; Mena Morcos; Emerson A. Martins; Faisal A. Quereshy. Large language model use in oral and maxillofacial surgery training: a national resident survey. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (2026-02-21). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-026-01514-y

Companion prepared 2026-10-30. Original authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract is an attributed source extract; the implementation plan is new AI-assisted editorial material, offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license. This guide has not undergone independent peer review.