Introverted Pre-Meds and a Career in Medicine

[Virgil]

Are there any introverted pre-meds here, or anyone acquainted with such a personality type? Do you feel that your personality type is holding you back from becoming a successful doctor? Is it minimalizing your impact in interviews or in clubs/organizations you are a part of? How do you deal with this?

For more on the notion of introversion and extroversion, the wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introvert ) is quite informative.

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[armybound]

It might play a small role in interviews and in letters of recommendation, if it's a subject. If they feel you're too timid to make decisions in a high-stress environment or to talk to patients, there might be a problem.

I'm typically not that outgoing, but I have no problems talking to patients or anyone else for that matter, when I need to. I just don't go seeking out conversation.

But hey, there's always anesthesiology.

 

[baylormed]

Are there any introverted pre-meds here, or anyone acquainted with such a personality type? Do you feel that your personality type is holding you back from becoming a successful doctor? Is it minimalizing your impact in interviews or in clubs/organizations you are a part of? How do you deal with this?

For more on the notion of introversion and extroversion, the wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introvert ) is quite informative.

I'm introverted. VERY introverted.

As for your other questions, I used to have problems with it. I used to try to force myself into activities and clubs that would maybe make me be more extroverted. However, I ended up hating what I did, so I stopped.

Instead, I decided to do things that would allow me to excell as an introvert. Lab work is great, you don't have to deal with too many people. I became a tutor, since I'm not afraid of teaching one or two students at a time. I took an office job in which I just had to do paperwork and maybe answer the phone.

During interviews, I don't feel it held me back at all. I did do some practicing with standard questions so I wouldn't have to stumble for words, but that's probably something everyone should do. In fact, you'll find that many of your interviewers are probably introverts.

As far as the future, I will see what specialty I am most comfortable with regarding lifestyle and job requirements, and I'll obviously go into something that matches my personality and abilities as a doctor(Pathology/Rads/Anesthesiology vs. Surgery/FP/Internal Med).

That's my take on it.

 

[prmdbeach17]

I'm usually pretty introverted with people I don't know but definitely not around people I already know well...I think if it's something you really want to do, it won't hold you back. Maybe you don't seek out things that require you to be outgoing, but if you need to be, you will.

 

[lilnoelle]

My class did the MBPI as a part of orientation. I think 30% of our class was introverted. They said thats pretty normal. Medicine does attract extroverts more than introverts, but theres not as much of a difference as business and sales.
If you are introverted (usually psychological definition) you should be fine in medicine. If you are anti-social (many people use term introvert to mean anti-social) you may have a problem with some types of medicine and may have trouble in interviews.

 

[FLaughaLot]

As was posted, I think it's fine to be introverted but again perhaps something to reconsider if you consider yourself fairly antisocial. However, if you really enjoy labwork over patient contact- why not consider that either through a MD-PhD or another avenue to focus more on research? What draws you to medicine? These are probably things you want to consider.

 

[Tatowedges]

Interesting thread!

I've always been an introvert (supposedly personality doesn't change too much in a lifetime).

The cons of being one is that I dislike being the center of attention because I do not know how to respond/act when I am put in the spotlight. I also don't revel in speaking in front of a big group. Socially, I'd rather hang out with one or two friends at a time as opposed to in a large group. And I definitely do not love to lead, plan events, organize clubs, etc.

However, public speaking and interviewing skills can be trained. In my case, I don't make enough eye contact naturally, so I remind myself to do so during interviews.

One thing I learned about myself through the application process is that I am actually pretty good at interviewing. Once I got to the interview stage, I have faired well. Maybe being a good listener and observer helped?

Anyone else have any experiences to share?

 

[MirrorTodd]

I'm an introvert. The army pretty much changed that though. I'd still rather write a letter to someone than talk to them, but I can definitely talk to people more easily now. One might even go so far as to say that I'm slightly alpha male now.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you are anti-social (many people use term introvert to mean anti-social) you may have a problem with some types of medicine and may have trouble in interviews.

Agree with this. I would caution people in using the word introverted, especially in applications. The MBPI test use of the word introverted is not the same as that used by the lay population. A true introvert, to many, has problems interacting socially, and thus would have difficulty in any service oriented profession.

 

[EmbellisMaVie]

Are there any introverted pre-meds here, or anyone acquainted with such a personality type? Do you feel that your personality type is holding you back from becoming a successful doctor? Is it minimalizing your impact in interviews or in clubs/organizations you are a part of? How do you deal with this?

For more on the notion of introversion and extroversion, the wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introvert ) is quite informative.

I'm extreeemely introverted (in the MBTI sense, and in the lay sense, to a lesser extent). However, as has been mentioned, there is a difference between being introverted and anti-social.

Ultimately, I don't think it holds me back anymore. If anything, I actually think that being introverted makes me a great listener and a keen observer, two very important skill both in medicine and in life. However, I will say that the initial shyness part is very, very difficult to overcome. I, too, used to try and throw myself into speaking/center-of-attention situations, and was miserable as a result. I finally discovered that I'm less anxious when I talk about things that I either 1) know really, really well, or 2) am really, really passionate about. Luckily for me, that generally tends to be science and bioethics. That was a good starting point for me, and I was able to build from there. I'm still not comfortable talking politics or such with strangers, but hey, as a doctor, that won't be nearly as important.

I also think I do reasonably well in interviews (though I'm not sure, having never really sat in on someone else's personal interview) and leadership roles, because my trick there is to pretend I know the person/people fairly well and kind of willfully loosen my inhibitions on what I generally talk about with strangers. As if I were talking to my sister or something. I just have to add another filter to what I say on top of that... because there are some personal things that strangers really just don't want to know about you.

 

[Mubash'shirah]

I've always been an introvert. I did take the MBTI in high school and came out as more than 60% introverted but it's no surprise to me.
I used to have a general awkwardness around people so that for the most part I just didn't talk much. But I've been working on it and I guess I can proudly say that I don't have much problem talking to strangers anymore.
Like the above poster said, I think I'm more comfortable when I know what I'm talking about.

Haven't applied yet so I dunno how I'd fare in interviews though.

 

[baylormed]

I'm extreeemely introverted (in the MBTI sense, and in the lay sense, to a lesser extent). However, as has been mentioned, there is a difference between being introverted and anti-social.

Ultimately, I don't think it holds me back anymore. If anything, I actually think that being introverted makes me a great listener and a keen observer, two very important skill both in medicine and in life. However, I will say that the initial shyness part is very, very difficult to overcome. I, too, used to try and throw myself into speaking/center-of-attention situations, and was miserable as a result.

I believe in that as well. I've always been very attuned for listening, and can probably remember very minucious details about a conversation or random facts about people. I think the fact that I don't do all the talking allows me to listen a little bit better and remember the "little details."

 

[dannylee718]

meep

 

[mules05]

We took the Myers-Briggs test as part of 2nd year orientation, and even though I wasn't surprised that my score leaned toward introversion, all of my friends were shocked. The thing that a lot of people don't realize about introverts is that we're not necessarily antisocial- I love hanging out with people as much as anyone, but I like to go home afterward and decompress by being alone. It also shows in our study habits- while I love getting to the library first thing in the morning when it's silent, a lot of my extroverted friends do their best work at starbuck's when it's packed.

The most important message I got from the personality test was to understand yourself and your own traits, as well as to understand that others (patients, attendings, classmates) may have different traits- and how to adapt to those traits to bring out the best in yourself and those around you. For example, when working with an extraverted attending, an introvert may need to go outside his or her comfort range to speak up more often and just jump into conversations, whereas with an introverted attending, an extravert may need to tone it down and wait for their turn to talk, to avoid being seen as controlling the discussion.

 

[DoctorGringo]

anesthesiology.

 

[notdeadyet]

I would caution people in using the word introverted, especially in applications. The MBPI test use of the word introverted is not the same as that used by the lay population. A true introvert, to many, has problems interacting socially, and thus would have difficulty in any service oriented profession.

I agree. There is nothing wrong with an MBPI introvert.

Frankly, judging from some of the premed personalities I've encountered, I think medicine could use more introverts.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Being a little nitpicky, but aren't we misusing antisocial. Antisocial in a psychological context means people who do things like commit crimes because they don't care and don't have much of a conscience. I don't think there's any overlap between introverts and that.

As for the introvert question, there are tons of introverts in every profession. It doesn't mean you'll be a bad doctor, and it doesn't mean you have to be a pathologist.

 

[Raindrop423]

Being a little nitpicky, but aren't we misusing antisocial. Antisocial in a psychological context means people who do things like commit crimes because they don't care and don't have much of a conscience. I don't think there's any overlap between introverts and that.

I think you're right. Asocial is a little closer to introverted than antisocial, I think.

I'm very introverted myself, and I'm still hoping I'll be able to improve a little, maybe by taking a public speaking class and things like that. The part I'm a little worried about is having the confidence to make split-second decisions and things like that...

 

[Virgil]

Has any "introvert" here ever feel jealous of an extrovert? Have you ever felt "oh, I wish I was as charismatic as him" or anything like that?

In social settings, I feel very hindered and have a difficult time making good impressions--people usually think that I do not enjoy their company or that I'm arrogant or something. Thoughts?

And lastly, do you think that I can become more extroverted by increasing my self-esteem and confidence by "working-out" and getting better grades?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Has any "introvert" here ever feel jealous of an extrovert? Have you ever felt "oh, I wish I was as charismatic as him" or anything like that?

In social settings, I feel very hindered and have a difficult time making good impressions--people usually think that I do not enjoy their company or that I'm arrogant or something. Thoughts?

And lastly, do you think that I can become more extroverted by increasing my self-esteem and confidence by "working-out" and getting better grades?

Yeah, I'm envious of charismatic people because it seems like their lives are easier. They just charm everyone and get what they want. Subsequently, I'm also a bit suspicious of people who are a bit too charismatic and think they're up to something.

About the latter, I don't think that's the way to go about it. Your self-esteem shouldn't hinge on having a great body or making great grades. Instead, think about things that you already have that are neat. Also, realize that other people aren't being nearly as critical of you as you probably are being of yourself.

The best thing to do is to probably just force yourself to talk to other people in various social settings. As you do it more, you'll get more confident. As for the becoming more extroverted, introversion is just a preference for how you like things. By becoming more outgoing or even more charismatic, you won't necessarily become more extroverted. You can be good with people and still be an introvert.

 

[brianmartin]

I'm an INTJ, and am definitely an introvert. This means that I need time *alone* to recharge and get my stuff in order. I can usually hang out with peope for roughly several hours, and then I feel the need to return to my "roost" and recharge for a bit.

However, I'm very good talking one-on-one with people, which I think will be great when I'm a doctor interviewing patients.

Don't worry at all about being introverted - there is a placed in medicine for most types of people, as long as you are smart and dedicated.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I hate dealing with people in groups but I enjoy one-on-one interactions. In clinic this is most of what's going on.

To those saying "anesthesiology," consider how much you enjoy dealing with surgery-types. Worse than patients in some ways. Most anesthesiologists I encounter are on the extrovert side of things.

Rads or Path would be the ultimate introvert specialties.

If you're scared of public speaking, you should work on this, because the quality of your presentations makes a big impression on those evaluating you on the wards. Med students vary in the quality of their presentation skills much more than in other areas, so it's an excellent opportunity to stand out (or look particularly bad).

 

[Tatowedges]

I'm an INTJ, and am definitely an introvert. This means that I need time *alone* to recharge and get my stuff in order. I can usually hang out with peope for roughly several hours, and then I feel the need to return to my "roost" and recharge for a bit.

However, I'm very good talking one-on-one with people, which I think will be great when I'm a doctor interviewing patients.

Don't worry at all about being introverted - there is a placed in medicine for most types of people, as long as you are smart and dedicated.

I'm an INTJ too! Supposedly we only comprise 1% of the population. When I do go to a party, I always end up chatting with one or two people for hours or the whole night, while my friend moves from person to person like a speed dater.