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Vol 6, No 2 (2007)
Original articles
Published online: 2007-09-07
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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

Małgorzata Krajnik, Magdalena Muszalska, Maria Rogiewicz
Advances in Palliative Medicine 2007;6(2):63-67.

open access

Vol 6, No 2 (2007)
Original articles
Published online: 2007-09-07

Abstract

Background. The medical profession is very often connected with high levels of job stress and the risk of its negative consequences concerning the mental and physical health of medical practitioners, as well as the quality of help they deliver. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether there is a specific personality profile for medical practitioners in palliative care and whether it is different from the personality profile for other specialists and from norms adequate to age and sex.
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

Background. The medical profession is very often connected with high levels of job stress and the risk of its negative consequences concerning the mental and physical health of medical practitioners, as well as the quality of help they deliver. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether there is a specific personality profile for medical practitioners in palliative care and whether it is different from the personality profile for other specialists and from norms adequate to age and sex.
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.
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Keywords

personality; palliative medicine; NEO-FFI Inventory

About this article
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

Vol 6, No 2 (2007)

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

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