Psychological factors determining success in a medical career: A 10-year longitudinal study

Figures & data

Table

Practice points

Success in a medical career depends more on personality than academic achievement. Grade points average score explains postgraduate medical competence. Future satisfaction with a medicine as a career, work stress and burnout, and physicians’ QOF are related to the SOC, depression, anxiety and coping styles at admission and during medical education.

Figure 1. Impact of significant predictors of success in a medical career. Notes: Exam, high school final and university entrance exam; Med Stud, results during medical study; SOC, sence of coherence; Dep, depression; Anx, anxiety; Cop, coping styles; Appr, the need for social approval.

Table 1.  Learning results and personality characteristics in relation to success in a medical career (general predictors of success).

	Postgraduate medical competence	Satisfaction with medicine as a career	Professional stress and burnout	QOL
				General well-being and health	Life satisfaction	Income
	R^2	R^2	R^2	R^2	R^2	R^2
	F (df)	F (df)	F (df)	F (df)	F (df)	F (df)
Academic achievement
High school final and university entrance exam	0.09***	0.11	0.10	0.01	0.03	0.21
	3.867 (7,269)	0.966 (6,48)	0.766 (6,48)	0.310 (1,53)	0.278 (6,48)	0.642 (7,47)
Results during medical studies	0.21***	0.01	0.01	0.15	0.10	0.31
	11.954 (6,270)	0.054 (6,48)	0.094 (6,48)	4.147 (1,53)	0.855 (6,48)	1.356 (6,48)
Personality characteristics, 1999–2005
Sense of coherence	0.06	0.40*	0.16**	0.88**	0.40*	0.54***
	0.672 (21,252)	2.599 (11,43)	10.66 (1,54)	7.033 (12,42)	2.599 (11,43)	13.166 (2,52)
Depression	0.03	0.12*	0.09*	0.23*	0.12*	0.41**
	1.099 (7,269)	3.561 (2,52)	5.50 (1,54)	7.038 (1,53)	3.561 (2,52)	4.868 (3,51)
Anxiety (state and trait)	0.04	0.17**	0.12**	0.58***	0.17**	0.48**
	0.795 (14,262)	5.222 (2,52)	7.23 (1,54)	9.525 (3,51)	5.222 (2,52)	4.690 (4,50)
Coping styles	0.16	0.69**	0.20	0.02	0.16	0.01
	0.726 (56,220)	2.813 (24,30)	1.31 (9,46)	0.395 (1,53)	1.513 (6,48)	0.761 (1,53)
Value system (goals in life)	0.44	0.40	0.42	0.01	0.40	0.02
	0.925 (126,150)	0.718 (26,28)	0.80 (20,26)	0.297 (1,53)	0.718 (26,28)	1.031 (1,53)
Value system (modes of conduct)	0.44	0.50	0.58	0.02	0.50	0.03
	0.951 (126,150)	1.075 (26,28)	1.53 (26,29)	0.408 (1,53)	1.075 (26,28)	1.213 (1,53)
The need for social approval	0.01	0.01	0.09*	0.24*	0.01	0.01
	0.586 (5,221)	1.073 (1,53)	5.56 (1,54)	7.41 (1,53)	0.031 (1,53)	0.459 (1,53)
Personality characteristics, year of medical school
0 year, incoming year–1999	0.13	0.42**	0.69**	0.01	0.26	0.48
	0.666 (51,225)	3.218 (10,45)	3.066 (23,32)	0.310 (1,53)	1.551 (10,44)	2.246 (7,47)
First year of medical school–2000	0.13	0.37	0.77**	0.15	0.45	0.12
	0.655 (50,226)	1.300 (17,38)	3.287 (26,28)	4.147 (1,53)	1.269 (21,33)	3.007 (1,53)
Second year of medical school–2001	0.19	0.32	0.75***	0.02	0.06	0.02
	0.980 (52,224)	1.671 (12,43)	4.838 (21,34)	0.421 (1,53)	0.687 (4,50)	0.230 (1,53)
Third year of medical school–2002	0.15	0.67*	0.50	0.11	0.47	0.47**
	0.758 (51,225)	2.146 (27,28)	1.368 (23,32)	1.403 (2,52)	1.479 (20,34)	4.407 (4,50)
Fourth year of medical school–2003	0.14	0.73***	0.32***	0.27*	0.47**	0.15
	0.707 (52,224)	4.774 (20,35)	6.106 (4,51)	4.009 (2,52)	3.981 (10,44)	1.972 (2,52)
Fifth year of medical school–2004	0.17	0.45***	0.66***	0.51	0.27**	0.36**
	0.917 (52,224)	4.791 (8,47)	3.676 (19,36)	2.486 (7,47)	6.315 (3,51)	6.183 (2,52)
Sixth year of medical school–2005	0.16	0.41*	0.54***	0.27**	0.68**	0.61
	0.836 (51,225)	2.539 (12,43)	8.039 (7,48)	8.450 (1,53)	2.658 (24,30)	1.546 (3,51)

Notes: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.

Table 2.  Academic achievement and personality characteristics in relation to success in a medical career (detailed predictors of success).

		0	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
Medical competence	Results during medical school						+	+
Satisfaction with medicine as a career	SOC comprehensibility						+	−
	SOC manageability		+	−		−	+
	SOC meaningfulness			+				−
	Anxiety–trait		−
	Depression						−
	APC logical analysis
	APC positive reappraisal	+			−
	APC seeking guidance and support		−	+
	APC problem solving	+				−
	AVC cognitive avoidance		+			−
	AVC acceptance or resignation	+			+	−	−
	AVC seeking alternative rewards	−		+		−	+
	AVC emotional discharge	−				+
Professional stress and burnout	SOC comprehensibility							−
	Need for social approval				−
QOL General well–being and health	SOC comprehensibility			+		−
	SOC manageability			−		+	−
	SOC meaningfulness		−		+	−		−
	Anxiety–state	−
	Anxiety–trait			−
	Depression							−
	Need for social approval			+
QOL life satisfaction	SOC comprehensibility						−	+
	SOC manageability		−	+		+	−
	SOC meaningfulness			−				+
	Anxiety–state	+	−
	Depression						+
QOL income	SOC meaningfulness		+
	Anxiety–trait							−

Notes: +, +ß; −, −ß; SOC, sense of coherence; QOL, quality of life; APC, approach coping styles; AVC, avoidant coping styles.