Is there a such thing as a EM personality?

[clocks123]

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I am very interested in becoming an emergency medicine physician, but I fear that my introverted personality will hurt me along the way. Would I be successful in EM as an introvert?

 

[EMdoc10]

EM = LOTS of talking (+resident lects), building rapport w strangers on short notice, discussing pts w/convincing every specialty at your center, etc. The few introvert physicians I've encountered were on Neuro & Rads. Haven't done Pathology!

 

[EM4life]

I disagree - though most EM docs I think are extroverted, I've met plenty of awesome introverted EM docs. I'm pretty introverted in general as well. Professionally, your ability to communicate and establish rapport is important, but I kinda feel like it's much more important for you to work well in a fast paced/high acuity environment without getting overwhelmed. IF you are the type of introverted that a high stress/take anything thrown at you environment is going to drive you crazy, then EM is definitely not for you. EM is a specialty, not some social club, if you love it, don't let your personality type dissuade you.

 

[Fiddlergirl]

One of my good friends in my residency is an introvert and does very well. I think she had to learn to be outspoken when necessary, but that hasn't stopped her from being an asset to the program. If em is what you think you want do some shadowing or an elective in the ED and see how it goes. That's the only way to really know.

 

[neusu]

I am very interested in becoming an emergency medicine physician, but I fear that my introverted personality will hurt me along the way. Would I be successful in EM as an introvert?

What year are you? You can learn to open up. I know plenty of ED docs who are introverts but manage well with the patients and consultants. It may take a little more effort, but if it's what you want to do, it's achievable.

 

[Rendar5]

I'm an introvert. I blab may way through medicine despite this =p

 

[Birdstrike]

Is there a "typical" EM personality? Yes, of course, everybody knows what it is.

It's called,

Crazy.

Right? Not overt psychosis, or off-the-rails borderline, but with all due respect, you've gotta have a little bit of that in you to do this, don't you?

Introvert, extrovert...it doesn't matter, as long as you've got a just a tiny little tincture (but not too much) of the c-word. (And remember, every introvert is God's gift to some extrovert out there. Otherwise, who would listen to all those extroverts' yappin' if the world was full of nothing but them?)

It's kind of like sky divers and guys that jump rows of buses on motorcycles. It's not for wimps, for those without a contingency plan for ever potential disaster, or for those who need all their ducks lined up nicely in a row all the time, to feel at ease.

Give it a try. See if you like it.

 

[deleted547339]

Is there a "typical" EM personality? Yes, of course, everybody knows what it is.

It's called,

Crazy.

Right? Not overt psychosis, or off-the-rails borderline, but with all due respect, you've gotta have a little bit of that in you to do this, don't you?

Introvert, extrovert...it doesn't matter, as long as you've got a just a tiny little tincture (but not too much) of the c-word. (And remember, every introvert is God's gift to some extrovert out there. Otherwise, who would listen to all those extroverts' yappin' if the world was full of nothing but them?)

It's kind of like sky divers and guys that jump rows of buses on motorcycles. It's not for wimps, for those without a contingency plan for ever potential disaster, or for those who need all their ducks lined up nicely in a row all the time, to feel at ease.

Give it a try. See if you like it.

Be fair - There's some of that, too. Lol.

 

[bartleby]

Agreed. I am an introvert by nature but do a good job of faking extroversion. When I'm at home I'll do almost anything to avoid talking on the phone or talking to strangers, since I've used it all up at work.

More important than any one quality is whether, when you shadow and/or complete your clerkship in the ER, which response you feel in yourself:

1. Holy crap...these people are nuts! This place is loud, chaotic, and the patients are whacko... I want to go back to the lab/clinic/OR and never come back.

2. Holy crap...these people are nuts! This place is loud, chaotic, and the patients are whacko... I want to learn more about what these people do, don't watch the clock when I'm here, and never want to go back to the lab/clinic/OR!

That should give you at least part of the answer.

Is there a "typical" EM personality? Yes, of course, everybody knows what it is.

It's called,

Crazy.

A

 

[knovecc]

I am sort of introvert but manage to be extrovert enough at work.
I think my biggest quality that made people around me say that I have an "EM personality" is:

my ADHD trait

Yes I do have a short attention span. Plus, despite not being an extrovert in personal life, I definitely have a cowboy personality. I am always ready to get the balls rolling and have problems fixed asap. It'd kill me trying to talk a patient out of depression for 30min, or figure out all the 30 ddx of a 85 year old with hyponatremia...

one patient
one complaint
one red flag diagnosis to rule out
one most likely diagnosis
one plan: discharge vs admit
...
then next! let's start over again

I'm lovin' it

 

[Arcan57]

I am sort of introvert but manage to be extrovert enough at work.
I think my biggest quality that made people around me say that I have an "EM personality" is:

my ADHD trait

Yes I do have a short attention span. Plus, despite not being an extrovert in personal life, I definitely have a cowboy personality. I am always ready to get the balls rolling and have problems fixed asap. It'd kill me trying to talk a patient out of depression for 30min, or figure out all the 30 ddx of a 85 year old with hyponatremia...

one patient
one complaint
one red flag diagnosis to rule out
one most likely diagnosis
one plan: discharge vs admit
...
then next! let's start over again

I'm lovin' it

I'm glad you've liked your time in the ED. The view you're presenting in your "one" comments is pretty typical of a rotating med student's view of EM. It's also not a good description of an EP's work flow.

Instead it's...

9-14+ active patients
1-4+ complaints (we get to throw out the non-emergent, but chest pain + HA + SOB is an extremely common combo)
multiple dangerous/life threatening diagnoses (especially for medicine patients with vague histories, multiple comorbidities, and non-specific physical exams)
multiple likely diagnoses that you can't differentiate between given the information available during an ED stay
re-evals to determine if the planned disposition is still appropriate
...
all of this occurring with multiple patients and the work-up being interrupted repeatedly for factors that you don't control.

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

The only thing I hate is when people say I have the attention span of an ER doc. We aren't dumb crack addicts that can't pay attention. We have a lot going on at once. I think the stereotype of a EM personality is overblown. I have seen some great personalities in attendings. Others not so great.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I'm glad you've liked your time in the ED. The view you're presenting in your "one" comments is pretty typical of a rotating med student's view of EM. It's also not a good description of an EP's work flow.

Instead it's...

9-14+ active patients
1-4+ complaints (we get to throw out the non-emergent, but chest pain + HA + SOB is an extremely common combo)
multiple dangerous/life threatening diagnoses (especially for medicine patients with vague histories, multiple comorbidities, and non-specific physical exams)
multiple likely diagnoses that you can't differentiate between given the information available during an ED stay
re-evals to determine if the planned disposition is still appropriate
...
all of this occurring with multiple patients and the work-up being interrupted repeatedly for factors that you don't control.

This.

 

[namethatsmell]

I'm pretty extroverted, and there are times where I get sidetracked chatting a bit too much with staff/co-residents/patients. I think I'd be more efficient if I was a bit more introverted. Somewhere in the middle is probably ideal for EM, but don't fret if you're closer to one of the extremes.

 

[Arcan57]

The only thing I hate is when people say I have the attention span of an ER doc. We aren't dumb crack addicts that can't pay attention. We have a lot going on at once. I think the stereotype of a EM personality is overblown. I have seen some great personalities in attendings. Others not so great.

I think our coopting "ADD" as the default EM personality is a gross perversion of what is actually a fairly disabling condition. It's so much more self-effacing to say you have ADD, when what you really mean is you have a low latency time when switching tasks combined with a preference for high intensity input. In fact, we are usually a profession defined by our ability to ignore distractors in order to focus on what is important. I have no doubt there are people with ADD that are extremely successful in EM but like in most fields, this is going to be an "inspite of" not "because of" phenomenon.

 

[hotsoup]

Introverts are generally excellent at being intuitive about people, excellent at establishing meaningful connections with people. They are good listeners and fantastic at building rapport and trust one-on-one with patients. For 99% of EM work, these are the most important skills. I'd argue introverts are actually a great fit for the ER. Running a huge team in a trauma and commanding a hectic room is a bit harder for an introvert, but this is not most of EM by a long shot, and as others have pointed out, something an introvert can learn to deal with.

 

[dbeast]

I think our coopting "ADD" as the default EM personality is a gross perversion of what is actually a fairly disabling condition. It's so much more self-effacing to say you have ADD, when what you really mean is you have a low latency time when switching tasks combined with a preference for high intensity input. In fact, we are usually a profession defined by our ability to ignore distractors in order to focus on what is important. I have no doubt there are people with ADD that are extremely successful in EM but like in most fields, this is going to be an "inspite of" not "because of" phenomenon.

True dat, ADD's not a good thing. That's why we treat it.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I'm pretty extroverted, and there are times where I get sidetracked chatting a bit too much with staff/co-residents/patients. I think I'd be more efficient if I was a bit more introverted. Somewhere in the middle is probably ideal for EM, but don't fret if you're closer to one of the extremes.

You're using the terms extrovert and introvert wrong. It's not that introverts can't socialize, don't socialize, or don't like to socialize. It's that introverts recharge their batteries by spending time alone. Extroverts recharge their batteries socializing. I am an introvert, but I am quite social and fairly chatty at work.

 

[namethatsmell]

You're using the terms extrovert and introvert wrong. It's not that introverts can't socialize, don't socialize, or don't like to socialize. It's that introverts recharge their batteries by spending time alone. Extroverts recharge their batteries socializing. I am an introvert, but I am quite social and fairly chatty at work.

Well then Merriam Webster has been lying to me:

"extrovert : a friendly person who likes being with and talking to other people : an outgoing person"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extrovert

And great, now I'm the d-bag who is quoting the dictionary.

 

[SoCuteMD]

Well then Merriam Webster has been lying to me:

"extrovert : a friendly person who likes being with and talking to other people : an outgoing person"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extrovert

And great, now I'm the d-bag who is quoting the dictionary.

In discussing "personality" I generally use Myers-Briggs for definitions and explanations.

Full explanation here: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.asp

"Extraversion and Introversion as terms used by C. G. Jung explain different attitudes people use to direct their energy. These words have a meaning in psychology that is different from the way they are used in everyday language."

 

[deleted92121]

Been in EMS ten years and three years in a busy level II trauma center so I have run into a number of different personalities. I can tell you that you'll find a wide range of folks here. I have worked with some incredibly quiet, demure doctors and some loud, abrasive ones. The one thing that sticks out is all of them work to live, not live to work. Come in, work your shift (and enjoy it), and go home. Additionally, most have the ability to develop a relationship with their patients quickly. And from my own experience, grow a thick skin. You're going to catch a lot of crap from patients and frequently the nurses (nurses in the ED are typically very good but have a tendency to side-seat doctor). Oh, and for whatever reason most of you docs are extremely nice us to medics. So on behalf of the medic community, thank you.

 

[LiamNeesons]

In discussing "personality" I generally use Myers-Briggs for definitions and explanations.

Full explanation here: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.asp

"Extraversion and Introversion as terms used by C. G. Jung explain different attitudes people use to direct their energy. These words have a meaning in psychology that is different from the way they are used in everyday language."

A dictionary-off!

 

[Bojack Horseman]

In discussing "personality" I generally use Myers-Briggs for definitions and explanations.

Full explanation here: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.asp

"Extraversion and Introversion as terms used by C. G. Jung explain different attitudes people use to direct their energy. These words have a meaning in psychology that is different from the way they are used in everyday language."

So this begs the question... which MB personality types thrive in the ED?
🙂

 

[Alvarez13]

I'm on my required medicine sub-i right now. They wanted to DC a pt yesterday around 430 on a Friday, but he needed to have a splint put on for a finger fracture before he could go home. The med intern spent almost an hour trying to call plastics who originally saw the pt in the ED, ortho resident, and a casting tech. When I came back, I read an up to date article, watched a YouTube video as I headed to the clean supply closet to get materials, and did it myself. Maybe 10 min total.

I felt very EM at that moment and I think that's a good characterization of the specialty. EM docs get things done.

 

[EvoDevo]

I'm glad you've liked your time in the ED. The view you're presenting in your "one" comments is pretty typical of a rotating med student's view of EM. It's also not a good description of an EP's work flow.

Instead it's...

9-14+ active patients
1-4+ complaints (we get to throw out the non-emergent, but chest pain + HA + SOB is an extremely common combo)
multiple dangerous/life threatening diagnoses (especially for medicine patients with vague histories, multiple comorbidities, and non-specific physical exams)
multiple likely diagnoses that you can't differentiate between given the information available during an ED stay
re-evals to determine if the planned disposition is still appropriate
...
all of this occurring with multiple patients and the work-up being interrupted repeatedly for factors that you don't control.

Seconded.

I'll add that while as a med student I used to believe that there was one EM personality, the reality is something much different. Other than all seeming to share a very earthy and practical sense of both humor and medicine (very little Loft White Tower Ideals in the pit), we're all fairly different.