US study finds personality predicts success in med school

According to new research from the US, personality traits play a major role in determining who succeeds in medical school. The study, which followed an entire cohort of Belgian students through their 7-year med school career, found that during the early, pre-clinical years, conscientious individuals did much better than those who displayed lower levels of this trait. As the curriculum changed over the years, interpersonal aspects became more important for success. While conscientiousness continued to relate to high grades, extraverted individuals also earned high grades in later years. Students who exhibited assertion, warmth, and altruism did siginificantly better in med school than those who displayed low conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. University of Minnesota News