Korean J Biol Psychiatry.
2012 Nov;19(4):199-204.
Effects of Temperament and Character on the Specialty Interests of Medical Students
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. junghyunlee@snu.ac.kr
- 2Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University College of Humanities, Seoul, Korea.
- 3Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
- 4Department of Psychiatry, Renaiss Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 5Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
In the previous studies, it has been suggested that temperament and character may affect specialty choice in medical students. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of temperament and character on specialty interests in medical students.
METHODS
A total 132 third-year medical students initially participated in this study. Among these participants, 128 students had filled out both demographic and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) questionnaires. Socio-demographic data, specialty interests and Cloninger's TCI scores were obtained. The specialty interests were categorized into surgical, medical and other departments.
RESULTS
Among 128 students, 88 (68.7%), 29 (22.7%) and 22 (8.6%) students chose medical, surgical and other departments, respectively. Students choosing surgery departments showed lower Harm Avoidance scores (F = 4.39, df = 1, p = 0.04) and higher Self-Directedness scores (F = 4.30, df = 1, p = 0.04) than those who chose medical departments. There was no significant differences in Novelty Seeking, Reward dependence, Persistence, Cooperativeness, Self-Transcendence scores between groups.
CONCLUSIONS
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that has demonstrated the relationship between TCI scores and specialty interests of medical students in Korea. The current study suggests that temperament and character influence specialty interests in medical students. These findings could have implications for medical education research and career counseling.
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