BRIEF TEXT

Background and Objective

[1–3]. Satisfaction with one's academic and career field is directly related to personal development [4, 5]. Individuals working in health and medical professions require strong critical thinking skills to make accurate and timely decisions, and these skills are influenced by personality traits [6, 7]. Personality traits, including neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, significantly affect the development of critical thinking and academic and professional performance [8]. … [9–12]. These traits not only influence job satisfaction but also play an important role in academic field selection [13, 14]. Although numerous studies have examined this topic, their findings remain inconsistent [15].

Medical students should ideally choose a specialty aligned with their personality traits. Therefore, selecting a medical specialty—an inherently highprecision decision—should be based on a thorough understanding of both personal characteristics and the demands of each specialty [16, 17]. This study aimed to investigate the influence of personality traits on specialty preference among medical students providing a useful framework for students and educators in academic and career decisionmaking.

Materials and Methods

This descriptiveanalytical cross-sectional study was conducted in five teaching hospitals affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. The study population included all medical interns during this period, and sampling was performed using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the short form of the Big Five Personality Inventory (NEO) and a demographic checklist. The validity and reliability of the NEO have been confirmed in multiple studies, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.56 to 0.87 and correlations between selfreport and observer forms ranging from 0.45 to 0.66 in Iranian studies [18, 19]. Demographic variables included age, gender, marital status, preferred specialty and reasons for choosing it, parents' occupation, place of residence, internship grade point average (GPA) (out of 20 points), and history of psychiatric illness.

Interns completed the questionnaires themselves. Individuals with incomplete responses and those with selfreported moderate to severe psychiatric disorders requiring medication were excluded. Cases reporting unconfirmed psychiatric illness were referred to a psychiatrist, and those diagnosed with moderate to severe illness were excluded. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 20), with a significance level of < 0.05.  

Results

Of the 347 interns approached, 260 (74.9%) met the inclusion criteria. Among the 87 excluded participants, 60 (17.3%) had moderate to severe psychiatric illness requiring medication, and 27 (7.8%) had incomplete questionnaires. The mean GPA was 15.63 ± 0.92 (range: 12.34–19.42). Table 1 presents the participants' demographic characteristics.

Mean personality trait scores were as follows: neuroticism 22.6 ± 5.81, extraversion 24.45 ± 5.02, openness 26.11 ± 5.23, agreeableness 24.30 ± 4.92, and conscientiousness 25.88 ± 5.06.

Pathology was the most preferred specialty (11.9%). Table 2 presents the interns' preferred specialties along with the factors influencing their choices.

Among male interns, neuroticism and openness differed significantly across specialty preferences; among females, neuroticism, openness, and agreeableness showed significant differences (P < 0.05). Table 3 presents the association between personality traits and demographic characteristics.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicated significant differences across specialties for neuroticism (P < 0.001, F = 5.78), openness (P < 0.001, F = 3.25), and conscientiousness (P = 0.002, F = 2.21). Extraversion (P = 0.07) and agreeableness (P = 0.36) showed no significant differences (Table 4).

Students preferring surgical specialties scored significantly higher on extraversion (P = 0.003) and conscientiousness (P = 0.002).  

Among parental occupation groups, only neuroticism differed significantly for fathers with miscellaneous occupations (P = 0.037).

Discussion

This study found significant associations between certain personality traits—particularly openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism—and medical specialty preferences. For example, openness was highest among those interested in obstetrics and gynecology and lowest among those preferring cardiology. Neuroticism was highest among those interested in internal medicine and lowest among those preferring emergency medicine.

While our study identified pathology, orthopedics, radiology, and nuclear medicine as the most popular specialties, a study of 683 German medical students reported surgery as the most preferred specialty [10], likely reflecting cultural and systemic differences. Similarly, a nationwide Iranian study found that radiology, dermatology, cardiology, and ear, nose, throat (ENT) specialties were the most popular [20], suggesting that specialties with higher income and lower stress tend to be favored.

Personal interest has consistently been identified as a major determinant of specialty choice [21]. In our study, interest, working conditions, and income were also key factors. [22-24]

Our findings regarding neuroticism and conscientiousness among internal medicine and surgical specialties align with studies by Maron and others' prospective evaluations [25]. Higher neuroticism among students preferring nonsurgical fields may reflect greater risk aversion. Diagnostic specialties such as radiology and pathology were associated with higher neuroticism, consistent with findings from Croatia [26, 27]. Surgeons have been described as more agreeable and conscientious [28], traits essential in highpressure environments requiring rapid decisionmaking.

Agreeableness, associated with flexibility and patient interaction [29], has been highlighted as a key factor in specialty preference in our study: students preferring pediatrics and psychiatry scored highest in agreeableness, consistent with McCrae’s descriptions of empathy and cooperation [30, 31].

Some studies, such as Abtahi [22], found no association between personality traits and specialty choice, possibly due to differences in sample characteristics, gender distribution, educational stage, or timing of specialty decisionmaking. Students may also adapt their personality traits to match their desired specialty over time.

Despite strengths such as a high response rate and validated instruments, limitations include the modest sample size, lack of assessment of factors such as socioeconomic status and religiosity, and the use of convenience sampling. Specialty preferences were also assessed before final decisionmaking. Larger multicenter longitudinal studies are recommended.

Conclusion

Although the sampling method limits generalizability, the findings suggest that personality traits may play an important role in specialty selection among medical students. Incorporating personality assessment into academic and career counseling may support more informed decisionmaking and enhance longterm professional satisfaction.

References

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Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Study Participants

Table 2. Participants' Preferred Medical Specialties and Reasons for Their Selection

Table 3. Relationship of Personality Traits with Demographic Characteristics

*Chi²

**Out of 20

Table 4. Description of Personality Traits by Participants' Preferred Medical Specialties

*One-way ANOVA

**Scores of the NEO-FFI Questionnaire