CMB : A Comprehensive Medical Benchmark in C hinese (2024)

Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) provide a possibility to make a great breakthrough in medicine. The establishment of a standardized medical benchmark becomes a fundamental cornerstone to measure progression. However, medical environments in different regions have their local characteristics, e.g., the ubiquity and significance of traditional Chinese medicine within China. Therefore, merely translating English-based medical evaluation may result in contextual incongruities to a local region. To solve the issue, we propose a localized medical benchmark called CMB, a Comprehensive Medical Benchmark in Chinese, designed and rooted entirely within the native Chinese linguistic and cultural framework. While traditional Chinese medicine is integral to this evaluation, it does not constitute its entirety. Using this benchmark, we have evaluated several prominent large-scale LLMs, including ChatGPT, GPT-4, dedicated Chinese LLMs, and LLMs specialized in the medical domain. We hope this benchmark provide first-hand experience in existing LLMs for medicine and also facilitate the widespread adoption and enhancement of medical LLMs within China. Our data and code are publicly available at https://github.com/FreedomIntelligence/CMB.

## introduction over the past two centuries, medical advancements have substantially increased human life expectancy. medicine's effectiveness often hinges on experience, with veteran physicians typically outperforming novices. in parallel, large language models like chatgpt are shaped by their vast data experiences. this mutual reliance on experiential learning between physicians and llms suggests a promising frontier for llms in the medical domain. ## conclusion although llms have potential in the realm of medicine, their accurate evaluation remains pivotal for real-world applications. the introduction of the cmb benchmark, tailored to the local cultural environment in china, gives a more contextualized and comprehensive evaluation benchmark. although not framed as a competitive leaderboard, it serves as a crucial tool for tracking llm progress in medical domains. this might pave the way for a broader and more effective utilization of llms in china's medical landscape.