The surgical personality: Fact or fiction

Abstract

Each of us has heard the stereotypic remark, “That’s just like a surgeon,” and we have felt a transient surge of pride tempered by the knowledge that negative connotations are often implied by this statement. In contrast to the suggestion implicit in this comment, perhaps there is little validity to the concept that surgeons share similar behavioral characteristics, temperaments, and personality traits. The so-called “surgical personality” may not have a factual basis but rather this concept may be maintained by the competitive and sometimes hostile jockeying for status between “medical siblings.“’ There is evidence that suggests that some surgeons are convinced that the surgical personality accurately describes the behavior of the majority of surgeons. Also, surgeons may unwittingly use an idealized concept of the surgical personality to identify potential surgical residents. I am frequently astonished that after only a half-hour interview with a resident applicant, I often hear, “This young man/woman will make a great surgeon, he/she has all the tickets.” Unstated by the interviewer, but perhaps understood by most of the surgeons on the interview team, is that the interviewee is similar to, if not “just like us.” Many surgeons consider their behavior, and by inference the surgical personality, to be similar to that of combat jet pilots, professional athletes, Old West gunslingers, and other groups of individuals in high-risk ventures. It is doubtful that this similarity is recognized and/or acknowledged by members of these other groups. I must admit that in addition to the many other attributes of a surgical career, I was very much attracted to the romantic persona of surgeons during my third year of medical school. I was particularly impressed with the take-charge machismo demonstrated by many of the surgical faculty and the majority of the more senior surgical residents. These behavioral characteristics seemed consistent with my personality and attitudes. I was very comfortable in the company of surgeons and much less comfortable with internal medicine residents and faculty. I am convinced that the internists likewise were not particularly impressed with my methods of solving problems or my behavior and may have actively encouraged my interest in surgery. Perhaps the internists and I both unwittingly and empirically accepted the concept that there is a particular, identifiable surgical personality and that those of us who are