Personality testing may improve resident selection in anesthesiology programs

Abstract

Background: Current methods of selecting future residents for anesthesiology training programs do not adequately distinguish those who will succeed from the pool of seemingly well-qualified applicants. Some residents, despite high exam scores, may struggle in the operating room (OR) in stressful situations. Aims: This study examined whether specific neuropsychological and personality measures can distinguish high competency residents from low-competency residents to aid in resident selection. Methods: Twenty-five residents enrolled in an anesthesiology program at a major academic institution were identified for participation. Thirteen were evaluated as ''high competency'' residents and 12 as ''low competency'' by the department's clinical competency committee. Groups were evaluated on measures of fine motor dexterity, executive functioning, processing speed, attention, and personality. Results: There were no significant differences between groups on measures of fine-motor dexterity, executive functioning, processing speed, or attention. High competency residents scored significantly higher than low-competency residents on measures of cooperation, self-efficacy, and adventurousness, and lower on measures of neuroticism, anxiety, anger, and vulnerability. Conclusion: Although measures of fine-motor dexterity, executive functioning, processing speed, and attention do not appear to distinguish between high-and low-competency residents in anesthesiology, specific personality characteristics may be associated with success in an anesthesiology training program.

Personality traits and virtual reality performance

“…These findings are expected and may be seen as analogous to the findings of a study performed within an anesthesiology training program evaluating 25 anesthesiology residents [22]. In that study, high-competency residents showed significantly greater cooperation, self-efficacy, and adventurousness and less neuroticism, anxiety, anger, and vulnerability than low-competency residents, but the two groups did not differ in terms of fine motor dexterity, executive functioning, processing speed, or attention.…”

Qualities of Residency Applicants<subtitle>Comparison of Otolaryngology Program Criteria With Applicant Expectations</subtitle>

“…Personality testing, task-based questions related to the responsibilities of a resident, evaluation under simulated stressful conditions, and character assessment are all important facets of applicant review that complement each other, and some have been formally investigated in selecting residents. 8,[24][25][26] Ideally, a method can be developed that incorporates all of these things to allow for an accurate judgment of a potential resident's performance in a given program.…”

Use of the Interview in Resident Candidate Selection: A Review of the Literature

“…Eight studies explored the use of personality [99][100][101][102][103] or emotional intelligence [104][105][106] testing as part of resident selection. Use of the Myers-Briggs personality inventory for interviewers and applicants demonstrated that clinician faculty ranked candidates more favorably when they shared certain personality styles.…”