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Is the palliative medicine specialist unique among medical practitioners? A comparative study of the personality of specialists in palliative medicine, surgery, anaesthesiology and general practice
open access
Abstract
Material and methods. A sample of 302 medical practitioners took part in the study: 79 with specialization in palliative medicine or at a final stage prior to specialization; 84 specialists in general practice; 74 surgeons and 65 anaesthetists. Each participant was asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and NEOFFI Inventory. The level of personality traits for medical practitioners from the above mentioned specializations was marked.
Results. In comparison with normal values, palliative medicine specialists had significantly lower levels of neuroticism but significantly higher for extraversion and openness to experience. What is more, extraversion, openness to experience and agreeableness differed in specialists in palliative medicine from other medical practitioners.
Conclusion. The results shed some light on biologically determined and relatively constant personality traits in medical practitioners choosing to work in a particular specialization.
Abstract
Material and methods. A sample of 302 medical practitioners took part in the study: 79 with specialization in palliative medicine or at a final stage prior to specialization; 84 specialists in general practice; 74 surgeons and 65 anaesthetists. Each participant was asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and NEOFFI Inventory. The level of personality traits for medical practitioners from the above mentioned specializations was marked.
Results. In comparison with normal values, palliative medicine specialists had significantly lower levels of neuroticism but significantly higher for extraversion and openness to experience. What is more, extraversion, openness to experience and agreeableness differed in specialists in palliative medicine from other medical practitioners.
Conclusion. The results shed some light on biologically determined and relatively constant personality traits in medical practitioners choosing to work in a particular specialization.
Keywords
personality; palliative medicine; NEO-FFI Inventory
Title
Is the palliative medicine specialist unique among medical practitioners? A comparative study of the personality of specialists in palliative medicine, surgery, anaesthesiology and general practice
Journal
Advances in Palliative Medicine
Issue
Pages
63-67
Published online
2007-09-07
Page views
465
Article views/downloads
1241
Bibliographic record
Advances in Palliative Medicine 2007;6(2):63-67.
Keywords
personality
palliative medicine
NEO-FFI Inventory
Authors
Małgorzata Krajnik
Magdalena Muszalska
Maria Rogiewicz