Exploring the factors and personality traits influencing neurosurgery career choice in Jordan.

Tolerance for Uncertainty, Personality Traits and Specialty Choice Among Medical Students

AimTo assess the association between personality traits by the five-factor model and specialty choice preference among medical students and immediate medical graduates in Jordan and to identify if there were any significant differences in personality profiles between those planning to pursue different career pathways.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study including fifth- and sixth-year medical students and post-graduate internship doctors at five universities in Jordan. An online survey was used to collect data from participants, which included their general characteristics, their personality profile using the Big Five Inventory–2, and questions about their most preferred specialty choice.ResultsOne thousand and twelve participants were enrolled in this study. Only 4.9% were interested in pursuing a specialty in basic medical sciences, and about 12% wanted to be non-practicing medical doctors. Almost half of all participants wanted to pursue a career in surgery-oriented specialties. Those were more extraverted, more conscientious, and had less negative emotions than students who chose medicine-oriented specialties. Students who decided to pursue clinical specialties and students who wanted to be practicing doctors were more extraverted and more conscientious.ConclusionMedical students and fresh medical graduates from Jordan who exhibited higher extraversion and conscientiousness and lower negative emotions preferred to be practicing clinicians. They were more inclined to pursue a career in surgery-oriented specialties. These findings might be helpful in understanding the preferences of young doctors and in counseling them about their career paths. Medical educators may wish to incorporate personality trait evaluation in planning post-graduate programs.

Background: Even though selecting a surgical career to follow after graduation is a difficult and complex procedure, many other elements may influence a student's choice. The purpose of this study is to identify the variables influencing medical students' and interns' decisions to pursue a surgical profession. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires online to sixthyear medical students and interns. Survey items obtained data on demographics, surgical interests, and factors affecting a surgical career. Results: A total of 685 participants responded, 76.1% were sixth-year medical students, and 23.9% were medical interns. Most participants (70.5%) were interested in pursuing surgery as a future career. Factors influencing students' decisions, such as lifestyle, career opportunities, future employment, work hours, stressful job, financial rewards, lifestyle during training, intellectual challenge, and hands-on work skills, were the highest- scored factors, respectively. On the other hand, the least scored factors were Saudi surgical programs being better than overseas ones, advice from family and friends, and surgery being "female-unfriendly," respectively. Conclusion: As most respondents showed interest in pursuing a career in surgery, many factors have played a significant role in their decision. These findings represent an opportunity that needs to be addressed to increase the number of applicants to surgical residency programs.

BackgroundThis study explores the most influential factors affecting Saudi medical students and interns’ choice of specialty at the University of Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was distributed during the period from June 1 to June 14, 2013. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to test the association between participants’ choices and the motivational factors that led to their choice of specialty.ResultsOne-hundred sixty-eight (44.7%) participants chose lifestyle as their most influential factor for the choice of their specialty. Significantly more medical interns considered lifestyle as an important factor compared to medical students (P=0.020). Internal medicine was the preferred specialty for 56 participants (14.77%) followed by family medicine for 35 participants (9.2%). Thirty-four participants (8.97%) chose general surgery, and 27 participants (7.1%) chose both pediatrics and emergency medicine. Sex influences indicated that men preferred pediatrics and emergency medicine (P=0.033 and P=0.0006, respectively), while women preferred family medicine practice (P=0.034).ConclusionSaudi medical students and interns at the University of Dammam were influenced mostly by lifestyle when they considered their future specialty. Internal medicine, family medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, and emergency medicine were the preferred specialties.

Medicine is considered one if not the most stressful educational field. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of stress and poor sleeping quality among medical students and the association between them. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan on second- and third-year medical students. The questionnaire consisted of: 1) Demographics; 2) The assessment tools which were Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI) and Kessler Psychological Distress Status (K10). Binary logistic regression, chi-square and linear regression were used to investigate the association between PSQI, K10, and their determinants. The mean for PSQI score was 6.76 ± 3.32. PSQI scores interpretation revealed that 61.7% of the 282 participants of this study were poor sleepers. Logistic regression results showed that only the category of not napping at all from the napping hours variable was significantly associated with sleeping quality. Furthermore, the mean of K10 scores was 24.5 ± 8.5. K10 scores revealed that 66.3% of the participants were stressed. Logistic regression results showed that gender and regular exercise were significantly associated with psychological distress. Additionally, chi-square test, logistic regression and linear regression showed that PSQI was significantly associated with K10 (P <0.01). Stress and poor sleeping quality in medical students at the University of Jordan were highly prevalent and strongly associated. What determined PSQI was daytime napping, and for K10 were regular exercise and gender. Further investigations into stress and sleep quality in the Arabian region are needed.

BackgroundThe most crucial decision in the physician’s career after graduation is undoubtedly the choice of specialization. It is conditioned by many factors such as intellectual challenges, clinical experience, economic and social influences. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality traits affect the choice of medical specialty at the University of Osijek, Croatia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included a total of 407 medical students. To assess the personality traits, the IPIP Big-Five questionnaire was used.ResultsThere were no differences in four of the five personality traits of the Big-Five questionnaire when comparing the groups based on their specialty preference: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability. A significant difference was found for openness to experience (intellect/imagination) trait, where students who preferred psychiatry specialties achieved the highest score, and those who chose public health specialties scored the lowest. We observed no significant effect between gender and specialty preference based on personality traits.ConclusionsWe could not attribute the differences in personality traits to specialty preference. Medical students with higher scores on agreeableness and openness (intellect/imagination) scales were more inclined to psychiatric specialties, and more conscientiousness students preferred the anesthesiology and emergency medicine specialties. Even if variations in personality traits do not exist across different specialties, many other factors influence specialty preference.

BackgroundThe prevalence of depression in medical students was greater than in the general population. Knowing of predictive factors for depression among medical students is useful. The objectives of this study included the assessment of personality traits as well as the association between the personality traits and the presence of symptoms of depression, and suicidal ideation among medical students covering several regions of Thailand.MethodsFrom April to July 2023, a cross-section study was conducted. The participants included first to sixth-year medical students studying at three Faculties of Medicine in Thailand; Prince of Songkla University; Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University; and Chiang Mai University. Using the online process, the questionnaires were composed of three sections; demographic data; the International Personality Item Pool-NEO (IPIP-NEO), Thai version; and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Thai version. Demographics, personality traits, depression, and suicidal ideation were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results were presented as frequency, mean, and standard deviation (SD) or median and interquartile range (IQR). The association between independent variables and the presence of depression was identified using binary logistic regression analysis, and the association with suicidal ideation was identified using ordinal logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe 868 medical students participated in this study. Most of them were female (63.5%), Buddhist (82.0%), and first-year medical students (31.8%). The mean age (SD) was 20.8 (2.2) years, and the mean cumulative Grade Point Average (SD) was 3.5 (0.4). They reported the median (IQR) score of PHQ-9 as 6.0 (3.0–9.0), 238 participants (27.4%) presented with depression, and 138 (15.9%) participants reported suicidal ideation. According to the IPIP-NEO, participants with depression or suicidal ideation had higher Neuroticism scores and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores compared to those without such issues. An increase in the Neuroticism score was linked to higher odds of depression, while an increase in the Conscientiousness score was associated with lower odds of depression. Suicidal ideation significantly increased with higher Neuroticism scores and the presence of a psychiatric illness.ConclusionsMore than a quarter of Thai medical students reported depression. A higher Neuroticism and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores related to depression. Therefore, medical schools may benefit from knowing medical students’ personality traits, to identify coping mechanisms and predict those at a higher risk of developing depression in the future.

The future of trauma care in a developing country: Interest of medical students and interns in surgery and surgical specialties

This paper aimed to investigate the prevalence of beta-blocker inappropriate use specifically propranolol, among medical and dental students at the University of Jordan. It examined the patterns of Propranolol consumption for stress management including frequency of usage, dosage, side effects experienced as well as the respondents' level of awareness about the risks associated with unsupervised propranolol use. Cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Jordan in December 2024 and recruited 584 students (418 Medicine, 166 Dentistry). The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 27). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample, Pearson's chi-squared test, fisher's exact test, independent samples t-test and binary logistic regression model were used to identify the predictors of propranolol use. Statistical significance was set at a p-value ≤ 0.05. Among the participants, 9.9% of the students reported using propranolol and 44% of the users learned about the medication through the recommendation of their friends and peers. Even though most students (74.1%) were aware of the potential risks of unsupervised propranolol use, still, 58.6% of the users took it without a prescription. The most common reasons for using propranolol were anxiety management (65.5%) and exam stress (60.3%). Most propranolol users (60.3%) noticed improvement in their academic performance and 36.2% of them experienced side effects such as dizziness and fatigue. Self-medication with propranolol among medical students to deal with academic anxiety carries serious risks. The findings of this research necessitate covering the potential hazards of self-prescription with beta-blockers within the curriculum of undergraduate medical and dental students. Moreover, there is a need for implementing student psychosocial support programs to improve their approach to managing stress and academic pressure.

AimTo review the available research on the association between personality traits and specialty choice.MethodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science was performed in June 2022 and updated on August 18, 2025. Studies were eligible if they examined the association between personality traits and specialty choice among medical students and graduates using validated psychological tests. The protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/su6md). Screening, eligibility assessment, and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers.ResultsA total of 9212 articles were retrieved, of which 61 met the inclusion criteria. Considerable heterogeneity in study design, instruments used, and outcomes assessed precluded quantitative synthesis. Most studies indicated associations between personality traits and specialty choice, although findings were inconsistent. Surgery was the most frequently assessed specialty, with several studies reporting higher impulsivity, higher extraversion, higher openness to new experiences, and a lower desire to work with people among students choosing surgery. Psychiatry, internal medicine, and family medicine were also frequently examined, but associations varied across studies. Methodological limitations were common, including reliance on cross-sectional designs, inconsistent measurement tools, and underreporting of psychometric properties.ConclusionEvidence suggests a relationship between personality traits and specialty choice; however, this evidence remains weak due to methodological shortcomings. Future studies should apply standardized measurements for both personality traits and specialty choice, with larger and more diverse samples.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are considered to be at a higher risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) infection than the general population. Clinical medical students are part of the healthcare team and clinical practice are done during their clinical rotation. They could be exposed to similar occupational risks as the healthcare workers. Most students who become infected have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and may not exhibit any clinical symptoms. Some students with LTBI can progress to TB disease during clinical rotations in the hospitals. Therefore, screening for LTBI in this population represents hospital aspect of public health strategy and infection control in medical school in high TB burden countries. ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the prevalence of LTBI among fourth-year medical students and sixth-year medical students by using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) and Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). MethodsA cross-sectional study of fourth-year medical students (n = 73) and sixth-year medical students (n = 85) was conducted at the School of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. The medical students (n = 158) who met the eligibility criteria were recruited into the study. LTBI was detected by using QFT-Plus and some of the participants had a tuberculin skin test (TST). The TST was interpreted after 48–72 h. The participants who tested positive by QFT-Plus were considered to have LTBI. Demographic information and data on occupational TB exposure were collected via a questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression was used to test for associations between independent variables and results of the QFT-Plus. ResultsA total of 158 participants were included in this study. The overall prevalence of LTBI was 6.3% (n = 10) as determined by QFT-Plus. The LTBI prevalence was higher in the sixth-year medical students (9.4%) compared to the fourth-year medical students (2.7%). Higher risk of LTBI was associated with sixth-year medical students (odds ratio, 3.69 [95%CI, 0.75–17.96]), but this was not significant. Moreover, history of occupational TB exposure without PPE yielded an odds ratio of 2.98 [95%CI, 0.68–13.12] but it was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. One hundred thirty-nine (88%) participants were BCG vaccinated as per the national vaccination requirements. No abnormal chest X-rays were found for any of the positive participants. Of the 158 participants, 41 (25.9%) of them had TST. Of the 41 participants, 6 (14.6%) tested positive at a cut-off of ≥ 10 mm for TST, which was concordant with QFT-Plus results. The agreement between the two tests was 0.57 using kappa coefficients. ConclusionThe screening of TB infection in new healthcare workers (HCWs), especially medical students, is essential to reduce future nosocomial TB incidences in the hospitals. This study showed that there was a high prevalence of LTBI among sixth-year medical students compared to fourth-year medical students. Our results suggest that tendency of higher LTBI prevalence might be associated with advanced clinical years, thus tailored public health education strategy and infection control in tertiary care hospitals for new healthcare workers in TB endemic countries may prevent nosocomial TB disease from developing in the future. Therefore, active surveillance should be done for all new HCWs, and TB preventive therapy should be administered to recent converters.

Different personality traits may have a significant impact on medical students’ choices on future selection of their future specialty selection. Objectives: To determine the most common personality traits among medical students. Also, to establish if there is any association between traits and future specialty preference. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2024 to December 2024. A validated questionnaire was used and distributed through social media platforms, and quota non-purposive sampling was done. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) was used for personality traits assessment. For demographics and specialty choice, frequencies and percentages were calculated. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between gender and choice of specialty. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to assess the mean comparisons of personality traits with specialty preferences. Post hoc, a Tukey HSD test was done to determine the statistical significance of the association between specialty selection and personality traits. p-value &lt; 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Between gender and specialty selection, a significant association was seen (p=0.033). The personality profiles of medical students showed a higher Mean + SD in the agreeableness profile (3.77 + 0.52). Significant associations with agreeableness and openness traits (p=0.05) were seen with the specialty chosen. Conclusions: The findings offered important perspectives on the relationship between personality traits and specialty selection among medical students. Future studies should build on these ideas, looking into various dynamic influences that affect specialty choice and the significance of personality traits in this regard

BackgroundSeveral authors have reported that medical students’ empathy declines over time as they start their clinical work. However, such observations, performed in cross-sectional or longitudinal studies, were mainly based on self-reports measuring cognitive/affective empathy. The aim of the study was to measure both the cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy as well as and behavioural empathy between fourth- and sixth-year medical students.MethodsFourth- and sixth-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine in Geneva were invited to partake to a videotaped formative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with standardized patients (SPs). They were asked to fill in the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale (QCAE) (31–124 scale) and Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE- Student version; 20–140 scale) measuring the cognitive/affective dimensions of empathy. Based on the videotapings, students’ verbal empathy was measured using the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES-P). Nonverbal behaviour was assessed along five dimensions, using a 1–5 Likert scale. Differences of scores between fourth- and sixth-year medical students were analysed using analyses of variance (ANOVA).Results26 fourth-year and 30 sixth-year medical students participated. Their mean scores on two different self-reported cognitive/affective empathy scales were similar (mean ± standard deviation: Jefferson: 114.65 ± 8.17 vs. 116.97 ± 8.56; p = 0.308) (QCAE: 91.46 ± 9.98 and 94.93 ± 9.64; p = 0.192). There is some evidence that fourth year medical students expressed more verbal empathy in response to patients’ cues and concerns than sixth year medical students (0.28 ± 0.19 vs. 0.18 ± 0.15; p = 0.028). There was no difference in nonverbal behaviour between the two groups of students (18.90 ± 2.33 vs. 18.80 ± 2.79; p = 0.92).ConclusionsThere was no difference of scores in self-reported scales of cognitive/affective empathy between fourth and sixth-year medical students. Differences in behavioural empathy observed between fourth- and sixth- year medical students seemed to be due to changes in verbal empathy more than in nonverbal behaviour.

Factors Influencing Choosing Diagnostic Radiology As a Specialty Among Medical Students.

Background: An extensive variety of medical specialities challenge medical students, owing to the numerous factors in choosing a profession or area of specialisation. Understanding the factors that lead to their choice of speciality is important to address the job market requirements. Objective: To determine graduating medical students' aptitude in making a career choice from King Abdulaziz University (KAU). To identify the factors affecting their career choices and determine where Orthopedic Surgery stands as a career choice amongst other specialities; and to assess whether trends and perceptions change once the students graduate and are near completing their internship. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 6th year medical students and medical interns at KAU, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the period of February to April 2015. A self-administered questionnaire was formulated and converted electronically and sent to the respondents through E-mail. Responses were recorded in Google spreadsheet and data analysis was done using SPSS version 23. Results: It was found that amongst the 232 respondents, Internal Medicine was the most prevalent speciality chosen by both 6th year students and interns while Orthopaedic sits at the sixth rank. Personal interest was the most important factor in choosing a speciality followed by positive experience during undergraduate elective rotation. Future job opportunity was also a consideration in addition to previous positive clerkship experience along with the desire to serve the community. Conclusion: The medical students' speciality of choice at KAU did not lean or was not affected by fixed factors, such as their grade point average, level of education or gender. Instead, their choice of speciality was greatly affected by their personal interest which is considered to be subjective by nature.