Physician, know thyself

Just fun or a prejudice? – physician stereotypes in common jokes and their attribution to medical specialties by undergraduate medical students

“…Physician shadowing experiences have also been shown to increase medical students’ interest in a specialty [ 4 ]. Aside from serious recommendations, a funny algorithm was created in 2005 by a resident from Yale School of Medicine to guide students’ choice of specialty based on “personality characteristics” [ 5 ]. While it included “recommendations” for ten different medical specialties, this algorithm was posted in a blog of a professional networking website for doctors and medical students [ 6 ] in 2011 with its “recommendations” extended to 18 specialties.…”

“…While it included “recommendations” for ten different medical specialties, this algorithm was posted in a blog of a professional networking website for doctors and medical students [ 6 ] in 2011 with its “recommendations” extended to 18 specialties. Anecdotal evidence reports residents and medical students to find some truth in the depicted personality characteristics with respect to their assigned specialties [ 5 ]. This raises some concerns, as not many of the personality characteristics are flattering and role modelling has been shown to play the greatest role in specialty choice [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…During medical education, humor applied by teachers can help students to relax, for instance, if they are not able to answer a question they have been asked [ 13 ]. Derogatory humor or stereotyping can be encountered in the medical environment with respect to many different groups of people: between doctors and nurses [ 14 ], between clinicians and scientists [ 15 ], against patients [ 16 ], against women [ 17 ], against homosexuals [ 18 ], and against different medical specialties [ 5 , 6 , 19 – 21 ]. Medical students become more cynical as they move through their undergraduate training [ 22 ].…”

Virtual sorting hat™ technology for the matching of candidates to residency training programs

“…In Canada this process is managed by the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), which operates with a budget of over 6.5 million dollars (CAD) . Previously, Veysman has developed an algorithm to provide guidance in selecting a specialty training pathway; however, the evaluation of the algorithm was conducted at a single institution and the sample size and methodology were not clearly described . The widespread adoption of the algorithm may also have been impeded by pejorative terminology used to describe the attitude of surgical colleagues.…”

“…1 Previously, Veysman has developed an algorithm to provide guidance in selecting a specialty training pathway; however, the evaluation of the algorithm was conducted at a single institution and the sample size and methodology were not clearly described. 2 The widespread adoption of the algorithm may also have been impeded by pejorative terminology used to describe the attitude of surgical colleagues. Our colleagues in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry TM have developed sorting hat technology to support assignment of students to one of four houses, each with a distinctive ethos.…”