The ME Generation: Personality Trait Differences between Surgery Residents, Non-Surgery Residents, and Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Five robust personality traits (i.e., Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, Emotional Stability) have been shown to predict a wide range of behaviors (e.g., academic success, job performance). This Five-Factor Model (FFM) is remarkably stable across time (e.g., 3-year test retest r=.90), and may provide a useful framework to understand performance-related issues in academic medical settings. The purpose of our study was to examine the Five Factor Model across a unique sample of medical residents and students to determine the distribution of personality traits across a variety of medical specialties and trainees. Method: Four hundred eighty one residents (N=274) in Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology and medical students (N=207) at a large tertiary care teaching hospital completed the Big Five Inventory, a well-validated 44-item measure of the FFM, as well as the 20-item Image Management subscale of the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) to control for desirable response bias. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine specialty group differences in personality traits, controlling for desirable response bias. Significant univariate effects were examined with planned comparisons (e.g., 1st year students vs 4th year students, all residents vs all students, surgery residents vs non-surgery residents). Data were analyzed using SAS 9.0. Results: Response rates varied from a high of 91% (surgery residents) to a low of 26% (1st year medical students). Between-group differences were observed in Conscientiousness (F=3.7, p=.003), Extraversion (F=2.6, p=.03), and Openness (F=2.9, p=.02), but not Agreeableness or Emotional Stability. In follow-up comparisons, higher levels of Conscientiousness were observed for 4th year students compared to 1st year students (F=5.8, p=.02), for all residents compared to all students (F=9.7, p=.002), and for surgery residents compared to pediatric residents (F=5.0, p=.03). Higher levels of Extraversion were observed for 4th year medical students compared to 1st year medical students (F=4.1, p=.04) and for surgery residents compared to anesthesiology residents (F=5.3, p=.02). Finally, higher levels of Openness were observed for all residents compared to all students, and for surgery residents compared to pediatric residents (F=3.8, p=.05). Conclusion: Higher levels of Conscientiousness, which has been associated with academic and job success in previous studies, were observed among advanced medical students compared to entry-level medical students and among residents compared to medical students. Surgery residents scored highly in Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Openness. We conclude that: 1) surgery residents of the Me Generation continue to exhibit desirable professional characteristics, and 2) FFM may have utility as a screening tool for future surgical trainees.