Emotional intelligence in orthopedic surgery residents

Abstract

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage emotions in oneself and others. It was originally popularized in the business literature as a key attribute for success that was distinct from cognitive intelligence. Increasing focus is being placed on EI in medicine to improve clinical and academic performance. Despite the proposed benefits, to our knowledge, there have been no previous studies on the role of EI in orthopedic surgery. We evaluated baseline data on EI in a cohort of orthopedic surgery residents. Methods:We asked all orthopedic surgery residents at a single institution to complete an electronic version of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). We used completed questionnaires to calculate total EI scores and 4 branch scores. Data were analyzed according to a priori cutoff values to determine the proportion of residents who were considered competent on the test. Data were also analyzed for possible associations with age, sex, race and level of training.Results: Thirty-nine residents (100%) completed the MSCEIT. The mean total EI score was 86 (maximum score 145). Only 4 (10%) respondents demonstrated competence in EI. Junior residents (p = 0.026), Caucasian residents (p = 0.009) and those younger than 30 years (p = 0.008) had significantly higher EI scores. Conclusion:Our findings suggest that orthopedic residents score low on EI based on the MSCEIT. Optimizing resident competency in noncognitive skills may be enhanced by dedicated EI education, training and testing.

Street Smarts and a Scalpel: Emotional Intelligence in Surgical Education

“…However, these low scores were still above national average. This finding directly contradicted that of Chan et al 16 which reported overall scores lower than the national average. However, Chan surveyed orthopedic surgery residents whereas Jensen and Dugan assessed general surgery residents.…”

“…4,[16][17][18][19] The content addressed both current and future residents; however, there was a predominant focus placed on current residents. Moreover, EI in surgical education appears to be in a nascent phase, because most studies were descriptive in nature with minimal evidence of EI-based interventions.…”

“…4,17 Conversely, other authors reported an inverse correlation between age and EI scores. 16,19 Jensen et al 19 theorized that regression of EI may be secondary to the stress and burnout encountered in surgical residency training.…”

“…Likewise, although EI is a specific entity, facets of the concept are likely addressed in other literature that 19 x Lin et al 17 x x Chan et al 16 x x Dugan et al 20 McKinley et al 18 x x Arenja et al 15 x McKinley et al 4 x x Satterfield et al 21 Blumenthal et al 22 Louie et al 25 Johnson and Stern 24 x Schrimpf and Trief 23 x Olson et al 26 x Reed et al 27 x Gorgas et al 28 x would not be captured through our search design. Regardless, EI is a concept that has been embraced by the business community, has been increasing in popularity in the medical field, and is evidently a new trend in the surgical education literature.…”

The emotional intelligence of pediatric residents – a descriptive cross-sectional study

“…Enthusiasm for the study of EI has led to many different studies that have included residents: General Surgery, Orthopedics, Internal Medicine, Pathology, and Anesthesia. [14][15][16][17] Studies of pediatric residents are limited to small samples in two recent studies, which also combined medicine and pediatric trainees.…”