Performance of Residents in Anesthesiology as Related to Measures of Personality and Interests

Abstract

79 male and 16 female residents in anesthesiology at six training centers took the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and Strong Interest Inventory (Sil) in Year 1 and were rated for performance two years later. Descriptively, the total sample scored highest on CPI scales for Dominance, Social Presence, and Achievement via Independence, and on Sil scales for investigative, mathematical, and medical science interests. Scores from a four-scale CPI cluster of Empathy, Socialization, Achievement via Conformance, and Achievement via Independence correlated 39 with ratings for men and 31 with ratings for women. In another sample of 20 residents, the cluster score correlated 30 with ratings gathered three years after testing. These findings, consonant with prior research, suggest that attributes such as empathy, strong internalization of pronormative values, and the ability to work well within either structured or open settings are conducive to superior performance in the specialty.