Ability of Prospective Assessment of Personality Profiles to Predict the Practice Specialty of Medical Students

Abstract

Medical practice encompasses a diverse spectrum of specialties. Factors that impact selection of clinical disciplines by young physicians may have recently evolved associated with changes in medical school demographics. We assessed whether physicians gravitate to certain practice specialties due to preexisting personality traits. The Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory Revised Test was administered prospectively to 130 first-year students the week before they began medical school. Scores for five traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness) were compared with the selection among nine medical residencies at the conclusion of medical school. Personality scores for medical students selecting psychiatry residencies showed greater degrees of neuroticism (P < 0.01) and openness (P < 0.03). Students electing family practice also deviated from other specialties, showing a lower degree of neuroticism (P < 0.03). Unexpectedly, personality traits in prospective surgical residents did not differ from those of students choosing nonsurgical residencies. Personality profiles present before medical school appear to predict the selection of some residencies and clinical specialties but not others.

How the personalities of medical students at the National University of Singapore differ from those of the local non-medical undergraduate population: a cross-sectional study

“…The results showed, for example, that students selecting internal medicine had the highest agreeableness score than all other specialties. (18) Interestingly, medical students were less neurotic compared to their non-medical peers. Neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings, manifesting in anxiety, anger or depression.…”

Fatores que influenciam o aluno na escolha da especialidade médica

“…O exercício profissional do médico é heterogêneo devido ao grande número de especialidades e subespecialidades existentes, que se caracterizam por diferenças na área de atuação, no ambiente de trabalho e na variedade dos pacientes [1][2][3][4] . O Conselho Federal de Medicina, em 2011, reconheceu 53 especialidades médicas, que devem contar com no mínimo dois anos de formação, e 52 áreas de atuação, com no mínimo um ano de formação 5 .…”

“…A partir da década de 1990, muitos estudos têm levado em consideração fatores como estilo de vida, recompensa financeira, desejo de prestígio social e efeito de mentores 4,22 .…”

“…Muitos desses fatores podem ter modificado este cenário suficientemente para tornar as características psicológicas um fator menos importante na escolha de uma especialidade 4 .…”

Investigating the motivation and personal traits of allied health professionals working in remote and rural Australia: the Remote and Rural Allied Health Motivation and Personality (RRAHMP) study

“…Vaidya et al (2004) Interestingly, there are inconclusive findings for associations between surgical intent and medical student personal attributes. These range from finding no association (Maron et al, 2007), to differences associated with gender (Coulston et al, 2012), as well as more definitive findings of lower Harm Avoidance (Vaidya et al, 2004), and a tendency to extraversion (Stilwell et al, 2000).…”