PDFs Made Easy

If you’ve ever been handed a dense, jargon-filled PDF and wished for a magic wand to pull out just the info you need, you’re not alone. That’s where ChatGPT steps in, ready to be your go-to tool for extracting precise data from those intimidating documents. In this tutorial, we’re diving into how to use ChatGPT to sift through the AMA’s latest report on physician sentiments about AI—an essential read for any dermatologist curious about the future of AI in healthcare.

Much like unraveling the mystery of a stubborn skin condition, extracting the right data from a PDF can be anything but straightforward. Whether you’re prepping for a conference presentation or just trying to stay ahead of the AI curve, mastering ChatGPT will save you time and give you the insights you need. Plus, you'll become the go-to expert in your practice for turning overwhelming documents into digestible, actionable information—because who doesn’t want to be the tech-savvy dermatologist everyone turns to?

Tutorial: Accurate Data Extraction with ChatGPT

Step 1: Download the PDF

First things first, let’s get the document. Head over to this link and download the PDF report on physician sentiments about AI.

Feel free to open up the report and take a look through! For this tutorial, we’ll pretend we want some data points from slide 15 about AI use cases. In this imaginary scenario, suppose there’s something super interesting about all the use cases that have been incorporated by 8% of respondents. Let’s see if ChatGPT can go grab that info for us.

Step 2: Put ChatGPT to Work

It’s time to bring in the big guns. Open ChatGPT and upload the PDF file. There are a couple ways to do this.

1. Drag and drop the file into the chat.

2. Click the paperclip icon, and then click Upload File.

After you’ve uploaded the file, it will show up in the chat box. Now you can write the prompt, “Which use cases saw 8% incorporation rate?”

The AI will give you an answer, but it might not be spot on…

You can see it got 3 out of 4 right, but missed one. That’s surprisingly close, considering it had to search through 27 slides. But close enough doesn’t pass board exams.

This is where you see the difference between a good attempt and a great result. We can refine this to get the exact information we’re looking for, so let’s make ChatGPT work a little harder.

Step 3: Break Down the Task to Get Precise Results

Here’s the secret sauce: ChatGPT sometimes gets tripped up by complex PDF formatting. To sidestep this, we have to break down the task into 2 steps. First, ask it to “Generate a text version of slide 15.”

You’ll get a clean, readable text version that’s perfect for pinpointing specific details. Now, with the text version in hand, copy and paste it into a new message and along with a slightly different version of the question, “From the following list, which bullets end with 8%?”

This method works because you’re giving the AI a clear, structured set of data to analyze, making it much easier to extract accurate information.

ChatGPT is awesome at giving you the gist of things and spotting patterns in big piles of data, like a PDF document. It’s like having a super-speedy assistant that can zoom through loads of info and pull out the main points or recurring themes. Need a quick summary? ChatGPT’s got your back—it’s fast, reliable, and pretty impressive.

When it comes to digging out specific details, ChatGPT might need a little nudge—especially if the data is a bit tricky or messy. That’s where an extra step comes in. Breaking things down into smaller, clearer chunks can help ChatGPT zero in on exactly what you need. So, while it’s fantastic for capturing the overall vibe, a bit of fine-tuning makes sure you nail down those all-important specifics.

Give it a try!

See what else you can get ChatGPT to do with this PDF. Here’s a few ideas to try:

• Summarize Key Sections

• Compare Topics

• Create a Q&A

Until next time,

The Wood's Lamp Editorial Team

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Have a specific use-case that you'd like help with? Let me know!