The importance of personality traits for predicting clinical clerkship grades and USMLE scores

Abstract

Background: Important aspects of medical school success are thought to rely on non-cognitive attributes such as personality traits. Methods: In a sample of medical students who completed their 3rd-year clerkships, the current study examined the impact of personality traits on performance on four measures of 3rd-year clerkship grades and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2CK (Clinical Knowledge) scores. Results: We found that specific personality traits, including conscientiousness, achievement-striving, morality, and self-efficacy predicted multiple outcome measures, including Step 2CK performance. However, while we observed a clear link between personality and success during the 3rd year, we also found that Step 1 scores, not specific or grouped personality traits, best predicted all measures of clerkship performance except clerkship evaluations and, as expected, best predicted Step 2CK performance. Additionally, we created a composite personality profile for our sample by averaging the high and low scores of the Big Five personality trait scales and their subscales. However, this personality composite, which included the traits agreeableness, cooperation, Conscientiousness, and cautiousness, did not predict any of our outcome measures. Conclusions: These findings indicate that personality traits individually and in combination predict 3rd year medical school success, especially when performance may rely less on intellectual prowess, and more on personality factors. Importantly, however, Step 1 scores were usually much better predictors not only of Step 2CK and shelf exam performance, but even overall clerkship grades and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) performance. We hope these results can be used to help clerkship directors and faculty understand that personality factors impact medical school performance and that they should be considered when evaluating the more non-cognitive aspects of student achievement.