Introduction: Neurosurgery is among the most competitive residencies, as evidenced by the high number of applicants for relatively few positions. While it is important to recruit candidates who have the intellectual capacity and the drive to succeed, the question remains whether these traditional selection criteria will identify those applicants who are best suited for neurosurgical residency.
Methods: We sought to determine the efficacy of the Hogan Personality assessment in the selection of neurosurgery residents. Specifically, our aim was to determine the correlation between traditional measures used to evaluate an applicant (eg. USMLE I score, number of publications, MD/PhD status) and the corresponding validated personality traits.
Results: 54 people interviewed at our neurosurgery residency program during the 2014-2015 application-cycle. No differences in validated personality scores were identified between the 46 MD applicants and 8 MD/PhD applicants. Mean USMLE I score was 252.3 ± 11.9, and those in the high-USMLE category (USMLE =260) had significantly lower “imaginative” scores (a stress measure of eccentric thinking and impatience with those that think slower). Average number of publications was 8.6 ± 7.9, and there was a significant positive correlation (r=0.339, p=0.016) between greater publications and higher “adjustment” scores (measure of being even tempered, composure under pressure). Significant negative correlations existed between total publications and “excitable” (r= -0.299, p=0.035; measure of being emotionally volatile) as well as “skeptical” (r= -0.325, p=0.021; measure of being sensitive to criticism). Average rank of medical school was 25.8, and there was a positive correlation with “imaginative” scores (r=0.287, p=0.044).
Conclusions: This is the first study investigating the use of personality scores in the selection of neurosurgical residents. The assessments have been validated to successfully predict a person’s future behavior. These data may be useful in the selection of neurosurgical residents, and can be further used to customize teaching residents and enabling the residents to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses in order to self-improve.
Patient Care: Identifying the most appropriate candidates for neurosurgical residency, as well as helping neurosurgical residents recognize their individual strengths and weaknesses will enable reflection and self improvement in residents' and future faculty's patient care.
Learning Objectives: Participants should be able to:
1) recognize the limitations in the current resident selection process
2) describe the value of personality assessments in recognizing applicants that are a a good fit with a particular neurosurgical training program
3) characterize the relationship between standard application factors (i.e. graduate degrees, USMLE score, publications, medical school rank) and personality traits.