I'm a med student. I've seen INFP personality suitable for psychiatry but I'm interested in anesthesiology. Just a curious thought.
INFP for anesthesiology
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I think it's a new thing the schools are all doing now. My school did it. There's probably some studies out there that showed some positive correlation with whatever blah blah blah so now everyone is doing it.
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deleted171991
I respectfully disagree. That is ONE of the requirements. Having the right personality is definitely the MAIN one.
The best recipe for unhappiness for trainees is to choose a specialty they think they like, ignoring all the red flags, such as poor personality fit. AKA wishful thinking.
"Where INFPs will not thrive is in a high-stress, team-heavy, busy environment that burdens them with bureaucracy and tedium. INFPs need to be able to work with creativity and consideration – high-pressure salespeople they are not."
INFP Careers | 16Personalities
Also recommend: http://som.uthscsa.edu/StudentAffairs/documents/veritas-meyersbriggs.pdf
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The thing is, high stress is relative. All of medicine is probably high stress relative to average jobs.
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There’s also a stress-performance curve. You need some stress in order to remain engaged. I was not happy doing data entry in my college work study job.
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Meyers-Briggs is a fad that needs to end.
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deleted171991
Agree. But a personality test can be a wakeup call for many people who just don't know themselves well (the younger they are the higher the probability). Some people are just delusional.
I once met a senior plastics resident whose hands were shaking while working. Seriously? That, to me, is a board-certified *****. One will never make a great surgeon with those hands. In many other countries he would have been told to forget about surgery. We let them go through the motions, even graduate, and then we act surprised when they suck.
Same way: Introvert? Anesthesiology? Fuhgeddaboutit! Will they make a great anesthesiologist? Very possible. Will they be happy? Very unlikely. In a country that values extroverts in general, that's a specialty that values them even more. But, hey, introverts are masochists.
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Very happy ISTJ anesthesiologist here, couldn’t imagine doing something else, wouldn’t want to.
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I suppose I would be ISTJ as well. I think I'm doing alright.
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deleted171991
When I read about ISTJ, it's not the ideal image of an anesthesiologist, no offense.
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I think your personality characterization should be added to the alphabet soup of credentials after your name.
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deleted162650
I agree, but I don't see LMFAO anywhere on that personality test??
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Don't let a personality test make or break your decision to become an anesthesiologist. Do the rotation, ask around here, interact with as much faculty as you can and you will see there is a spectrum of personalities.
That being said, residency is a lot easier if you thrive under pressure or stressful situations and have enough patience to compromise/deal with dickheads in the OR.
That being said, residency is a lot easier if you thrive under pressure or stressful situations and have enough patience to compromise/deal with dickheads in the OR.
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Funny, I only did this Meyer-Briggs crap when I went to a conference a year ago, well into my residency. Came out an "ESTJ", though I think the E may have been 51/49, as I consider myself more an introvert that can carry on a conversation with anyone when needed. Have never looked into what specialty I should be in until this thread, but based on my results, I see I should be an orthopod, Ob-Gyn, IM, or Peds. Couldn't imagine being in any of those specialties. Very happy to be where I am, regardless of what this test suggests.
If I did turn out ISTJ, that adds Uro and Derm. Damn my crappy pedigree
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What letter in Meyers-Briggs stands for your Step 1 score?
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Here are the results of a study that observed the Myers Briggs personality types and the associated medical specialties from 1977 (consider the demographics):
Introverted–Sensing–Thinking–Judging (ISTJ)
Dermatology Obstetrics-gynecology Family practice Urology Orthopedic surgery
Introverted–Sensing–Feeling–Judging (ISFJ)
Anesthesiology Ophthalmology General practice Family practice Pediatrics
Introverted–Sensing–Thinking–Perceptive (ISTP)
Otolaryngology Anesthesiology Radiology Ophthalmology General practice
Introverted–Sensing–Feeling–Perceptive (ISFP)
Anesthesiology Urology Family practice Thoracic surgery General practice
Introverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Judging (INFJ)
Psychiatry Internal medicine Thoracic surgery General surgery Pathology
Extroverted–Sensing–Thinking–Judging (ESTJ)
Obstetrics-gynecology General practice General surgery Orthopedic surgery Pediatrics
Extroverted–Sensing–Feeling–Judging (ESFJ)
Pediatrics Orthopedic surgery Otolaryngology General practice Internal medicine
Extroverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Perceptive (ENFP)
Psychiatry Dermatology Otolaryngology Psychiatry Pediatrics
Introverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Judging (INTJ)
Psychiatry Pathology Neurology Internal medicine Anesthesiology
Introverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Perceptive (INFP)
Psychiatry Cardiology Neurology Dermatology Pathology
Introverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Perceptive (INTP)
Neurology Pathology Psychiatry Cardiology Thoracic surgery
Extroverted–Sensing–Thinking–Perceptive (ESTP)
Orthopedic surgery Dermatology Family practice Radiology General surgery
Extroverted–Sensing–Feeling–Perceptive (ESFP)
Ophthalmology Thoracic surgery Obstetrics‐gynecology Orthopedic surgery General surgery
Extroverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Perceptive (ENTP)
Otolaryngology Psychiatry Radiology Pediatrics Pathology
Extroverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Judging (ENFJ)
Thoracic surgery Dermatology Psychiatry Ophthalmology Radiology
Extroverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Judging (ENTJ)
Neurology Cardiology Urology Thoracic surgery Internal medicine
*Source: McCaulley, M.H. The Myers Longitudinal Medical Study (Monograph II).Gainesville, Fla: Center for Applications of Psychological Type; 1977.
Introverted–Sensing–Thinking–Judging (ISTJ)
Dermatology Obstetrics-gynecology Family practice Urology Orthopedic surgery
Introverted–Sensing–Feeling–Judging (ISFJ)
Anesthesiology Ophthalmology General practice Family practice Pediatrics
Introverted–Sensing–Thinking–Perceptive (ISTP)
Otolaryngology Anesthesiology Radiology Ophthalmology General practice
Introverted–Sensing–Feeling–Perceptive (ISFP)
Anesthesiology Urology Family practice Thoracic surgery General practice
Introverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Judging (INFJ)
Psychiatry Internal medicine Thoracic surgery General surgery Pathology
Extroverted–Sensing–Thinking–Judging (ESTJ)
Obstetrics-gynecology General practice General surgery Orthopedic surgery Pediatrics
Extroverted–Sensing–Feeling–Judging (ESFJ)
Pediatrics Orthopedic surgery Otolaryngology General practice Internal medicine
Extroverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Perceptive (ENFP)
Psychiatry Dermatology Otolaryngology Psychiatry Pediatrics
Introverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Judging (INTJ)
Psychiatry Pathology Neurology Internal medicine Anesthesiology
Introverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Perceptive (INFP)
Psychiatry Cardiology Neurology Dermatology Pathology
Introverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Perceptive (INTP)
Neurology Pathology Psychiatry Cardiology Thoracic surgery
Extroverted–Sensing–Thinking–Perceptive (ESTP)
Orthopedic surgery Dermatology Family practice Radiology General surgery
Extroverted–Sensing–Feeling–Perceptive (ESFP)
Ophthalmology Thoracic surgery Obstetrics‐gynecology Orthopedic surgery General surgery
Extroverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Perceptive (ENTP)
Otolaryngology Psychiatry Radiology Pediatrics Pathology
Extroverted–Intuitive–Feeling–Judging (ENFJ)
Thoracic surgery Dermatology Psychiatry Ophthalmology Radiology
Extroverted–Intuitive–Thinking–Judging (ENTJ)
Neurology Cardiology Urology Thoracic surgery Internal medicine
*Source: McCaulley, M.H. The Myers Longitudinal Medical Study (Monograph II).Gainesville, Fla: Center for Applications of Psychological Type; 1977.
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@FFP The research is not agreeing with you.
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deleted171991
That was 41 years ago! Big difference. 99.9% of anesthesiologists probably worked solo, as partners, back then. I went into medicine, and anesthesia, based on that idea(l).
Now everybody is peeing on doctors, especially on anesthesiologists in ACT models, and they call it rain.
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deleted171991
I lost a pretty decent (by today's standards) pre-fellowship solo job (that became ACT) and got a better idea of the job market. I also realized that the CCM fellowship doesn't mean crap in my market, except for making me a better anesthesiologist (and doctor). The one secret nobody tells you is that anesthesiology-CCM fellowships are producing more grads than the market needs (unless one gives up practicing anesthesiology). Hence there are always enough suckers for the few decent jobs available.
To quote GravelRider:
To quote GravelRider:
If I have learned something during all these years, watching my anesthesiology market, is: seize the day, tomorrow WILL be worse. Textbook rat race.
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Which personality type most closely corresponds with being the best rat? I wanna win the race and find that cheese.
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deleted171991
The Alaskan rat. 😀
Dang, judging by everything, I should go into pathology based on my personality. I kind of like the adrenaline rush of things, I like the immediate gratification of things. I hate to have 8 hours of mindgasms that come with internal medicine or medicine in general. Surgery is a no no. I feel as though I'd care too much about psychiatry patient or eventually get tired of people complaining about their problems. radiology, papillary thyroid cancer + low vitamin D? no thanks. I had initially narrowed it down to pathology or anesthesiology. I guess I'm not suited for anesthesiology.....
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lmfao is it that bad? why is it that bad?
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I did a path rotation (2 weeks) and loved it. Here I am doing anesthesiology residency and really really loving it. It probably helps that I was a microbiology major in undergrad so I don't mind staring through a microscope for extended periods of time.
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Also ISTJ here and couldn't think of doing any other specialty than anesthesia at this time. I can see though that I don't like using intuition and prefer to make clinical decisions based on facts and measurements- this could be why I like echo so much and I am also the person in my CV group that uses mixed venous gases the most to guide inotrope titration in the CV ICU...
Anyone have more insight into why ISTJ is not a good fit?
Anyone have more insight into why ISTJ is not a good fit?
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It's meaningless mumbo jumbo that sells self help books to people who watch daytime TV. You've already expended more effort down this line of inquiry than is necessary. 🙂
Do what you like based on your actual experience doing it.
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deleted171991
IM + CCM, most likely (possibly another subspecialty that would have allowed me to practice solo). Back then, I was offered both a prelim and a categorical IM contract (out-of-match), and had a weekend to think about it. I probably made the right choice, because, for a FMG, it was/is much easier to get into a good academic anesthesiology program than a good academic IM program. Had I been an American grad, different story.
Anesthesiology can rarely be a cushy gig, especially in a solo setting, but it can kill the soul of an introvert who can't suffer fools and be THE doctor in the room. Many introverts are not really born to be team players, they just fake it, especially in America.
Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.
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deleted171991
You can never "make it", if it's not in your nature. The major difference with IM-CCM is that the intensivist is THE patient's doctor in the MICU. In the SICU, s/he's ONE of the doctors.
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While true, I’ve also been to MICU that is “closed” when it is not. I’ve had a very good CCM attending who I respected so much, still defer to 1. Pulm (he’s only CCM trained) 2. Nephro 3. Cards
Obviously these are more community programs where I am coming from, because Pulm/Nephro/ID/Onc/GI/Rhum/cards has to eat too.
Just like when we say we suppose to be the doctor for PSH, we are taking away from IM or patients primary physicians, why would they want to? We also take away from some of the community cardiologists when they’ve been charging hundreds to read EKG and tells me to avoid hypotension and keep the patient normotensive?
I do agree with the first part, I guess I’ll just have to fake it for a long time.
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deleted171991
I was not talking about not involving consultants. I was talking about who is primary, who's the captain of the ship. In the SICU, the intensivist is a consultant. In the MICU, s/he's the primary physician. Huge difference. A wise primary doc will follow the advice of his consultants, but surgeons are generally not so wise.
An introvert won't feel good as a consultant who's opinions are ignored, or who constantly has to convince fools that he's right. One needs a dose of not giving a crap to function in such an environment; for a serious introvert, it's the recipe for burnout.
Just my 2 cents.
An introvert won't feel good as a consultant who's opinions are ignored, or who constantly has to convince fools that he's right. One needs a dose of not giving a crap to function in such an environment; for a serious introvert, it's the recipe for burnout.
Just my 2 cents.
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You trained at big name places, I not so much. I’ve seen CCM/Hospitalist just simply follow consultants recommendations for various reasons. The reasons from conventional treatments to political to turf war and my favorite reason, $$.
MICU rounding.... or even SICU rounding, don’t you just want to hurt someone when we are still on the third patient at 1130, and the cafeteria just open and the line is so short right then?!
MICU rounding.... or even SICU rounding, don’t you just want to hurt someone when we are still on the third patient at 1130, and the cafeteria just open and the line is so short right then?!
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deleted162650
Back to the OP: If you’re gonna put this much stock into the results of some invalidated personality test, then perhaps psych is the right answer for you 😉
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Might I add, i also developed this condition with my ear where I have sound sensitivity (both to internal and external sounds). Now I'm REALLY thinking anesthesiology is not my cup of tea. Life is so unpredictable, I always thought I'd go into anesthesiology, the people are kickass, the results are immediate, the pay is good, not too much patient contact...ugh dream job down the drain. On to patho I suppose, thanks everyone.
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Why did you pursue an ICU fellowship? It was pretty clear to me that any surgical ICU attendings were really life long interns to the surgeons. Did you not see that as a resident?
When I was in residency I realized that even if I didn't like the dynamics in the ICU, I liked the knowledge. Thus, I bought a book and read it. You don't need a fellowship to acquire the knowledge.
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Definitely not true everywhere. It's a collaboration in a lot of places. You can think of it as an intensivist consult. Is it ultimately the surgeon's patient ? Yes but that doesn't mean that the surgeon is comfortable managing many ICU issues. Especially when they are in the OR or clinic all day. Surgeon's input vary quite a lot depending on specialty, culture of the unit, etc.
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deleted171991
What can I say, I am not as smart as you.
While I may have misjudged the regional anesthesiology-CCM market, the CCM fellowship definitely made me a better doctor, even in the OR. The problem is that, for most employers, it doesn't matter. They just want a body, and malpractice damages within the projected budget.
You can read all the books you want, you won't come close to a good intensivist. You'll be just like a surgeon who thinks he can do everything well. In medicine, experience beats knowledge. And that year of fellowship was about direct clinical experience in modern critical care. In this market, it was a waste of money, not of time. I have said it before: people should think about pain and CCM only if they want to give up anesthesia (except as a side gig). There are few good combined jobs.
As everywhere, the atmosphere at work depends a lot on the management. There are legendary closed SICUs in the country, proving that it can be done, with the right-size balls. Even in a "collaborative" model, if a surgeon keeps stepping on one's toes, one can make it very clear in one's notes than s/he's only consulting, and tell the team to call the surgeon with everything, at all times.
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I’m and INFP.
Anesthesia is the perfect fit for me. It gives me a way to be social, but in my own world most of the time. (Especially when I put the drapes up high.)
It’s kinda like the reason that I study in coffee shops: there is a busy energy all around me but I don’t have to engage in it. I can do my work my own way.
Anesthesia is the perfect fit for me. It gives me a way to be social, but in my own world most of the time. (Especially when I put the drapes up high.)
It’s kinda like the reason that I study in coffee shops: there is a busy energy all around me but I don’t have to engage in it. I can do my work my own way.
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deleted171991
Good luck. Most anesthesia jobs are not stool-sitting, so there will be a lot of others in "your own world". 😉
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