Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in Medical Education: A Narrative Review and Analysis

Abstract

PurposeHealth professionals are moving beyond traditional roles as vessels of science and are expected to exhibit excellence in psychosocial sciences, communication, and humanities. Medical education has shifted focus to non-cognitive aspects of training, which have been correlated with clinical performance, professionalism, interpersonal skills, and in-service exam scores. Psychometric tests are a means to gauge an individual's personality and behavioral characteristics. They have been used in various professional settings. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective psychometric questionnaire explaining an individual's decision-making, perception, and interactions. Medicine has used the MBTI by surveying providers and trainees. Particular interest is paid to its use in medical education. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of MBTI use in medical education. MethodA PubMed search (1975–2018) was performed to identify studies addressing MBTI in medical education using a combination of Boolean and MeSH search terms. Forty articles were included in the final review. ResultsOverall, 30% (12/40) of articles addressed MBTI in specialty/training setting selection, 52.5% (21/40) addressed MBTI in medical curricula, and 17.5% (7/40) addressed MBTI in evaluation/selection of trainees. MBTI preferences of different specialties showed inconsistencies. MBTI improves trainee communication skills, identifies those at risk for burnout, directs use of personalized study resources, among other domains. Biases in medical school and residency admissions processes are unearthed with MBTI. Furthermore, certain MBTI traits show stronger correlation with trainee clinical evaluations than board exam scores. ConclusionMBTI is a potentially powerful tool for medical education. However, a large portion of studies (30%) investigate its role in specialty choice, a domain with inconsistent results. Instead, MBTI may be better served to provide trainees with individualized study environments/resources, enhance communication skills, and provide burnout screening and support. Furthermore, it may address biases in the subjective medical school and residency interview processes and increase class psychodynamic diversity. New era problem-based learning and team-based learning may be enhanced with MBTI. In these ways, the application and interpretation of this psychometric tool may advance personalized medical education in the 21st century.