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Perils of selecting for extreme personality types
- Woody Caan (21 February 2003)
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The cat is out of the bag
- D. R. Nethercott (24 February 2003)
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It wasn't Goering
- Zvonko Rumboldt (4 May 2003)
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It wasn't Goebbels
- Vedran Carevic (12 May 2003)
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Don't overestimate the importance of aptitude tests
- Aneurin J Young (9 September 2005)
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Woody Caan, Professor of public health Dept. Public and Family Health, APU, Chelmsford CM1 1LL
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Pit bull terriers and other hard-to-accomodate fighting dogs can be bred selectively in a remarkably few generations. Across the diversity of human individual differences, neither early evolution nor the social norms of civilisation favoured the selection of many people with extreme personality types. The medical school admissions study of Ferguson et al (1)found that the dimension of personality labelled "conscientousness" predicted better performance during pre-registration studies. A degree of conscientiousness, in the right occupational context, can bring advantages to individual performance in many activities(2). However, this does not mean that the medical profession or its patients will necessarily benefit by selecting for ever more and more "conscientious" applicants. At the extreme, this could mean more and more colleagues who exhibit either an obsessive narrowness in their worldview or a perfectionism that prevents them letting go of work-in-progress. Idealising conscientiousness could make for unhappiness in both individuals and the medical profession. In general, Higher Education and the professions seem to benefit from taking in a rich diversity of people, including some with "ordinary" traits - like the Public we serve. There has been at least one natural experiment in this area. The wartime SS "baby farms" in areas like the Sudetenland selected their prospective parents on three criteria: physical robustness, a pale complexion and especially a sense of duty. Have any of their "dutiful" children since become outstanding doctors ? (1) Ferguson E, James D, O'Hehir F, Sanders A. Pilot study of the roles of personality, references, and personal statements in relation to performance over the five years of a medical degree. BMJ 2003; 326: 429- 432. (2) American Psychological Association. Psychology at work: which traits predict job performance ? http://helping.apa.org/work/personal.html Competing interests: Editorial board, Journal of Mental Health Promotion |
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D. R. Nethercott, sho uk
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Now that the elements required in one's personal statement when applying for medical school have been elucidated, will not all canny careers advisors guide students in the wording of their personal statement? There's one consolation: If all A-level students start bragging about how 'conscientious' they are, at least the admissions staff know they read the BMJ! Competing interests: None declared |
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Zvonko Rumboldt, University of Split School of Medicine 21000 Split, Croatia
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To the best of my knowledge the person stating to reach his revolver on hearing the world "culture" was not Hermann Goering, but another infamous nazi politician, Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945). The commentary by professor McManus is otherwise excellent: humorous, brief and clear. Competing interests: None declared |
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Vedran Carevic, research fellow Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
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Whether or not Goering (but is often attributed to him) ever said it, the only recorded source of this remark is the play Schlageter (first performed in 1933, for Hitler's birthday) by Hanns Johst (1890-1978). Johst was Nazi playwright and president of Reich Chamber of Literature. Famous sentence 'Whenever I hear the world culture..' occurs in Act 1 of the play, and the character who utters the sentence is called Thiemann. Competing interests: None declared |
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Aneurin J Young, First Year Medical Student Imperial College, London. SW7 2AZ
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The role of intellectual aptitude tests for selection to medical schools is undoubtedly controversial and expanding. Whilst I accept that the shortcomings listed are of serious concern I feel that the importance of aptitude testing in those universities which use it has been overstated. A level grades remain vital to entry into these institutions – acceptance is reliant on meeting specified grades. Aptitude tests are augmenting rather than replacing A-level based selection systems. Moreover, acceptance onto these courses is hugely influenced by other techniques, namely personal written statements and interviews. These techniques (at least in theory) test the student’s “ability to communicate and to empathise… and having the appropriate attitudes and ethical standards necessary for professionalism”. In the case of the biomedical admissions test (BMAT), a high score only guarantees the student the opportunity of an interview. I personally know of people who have applied to University College London (which uses the BMAT) and have in one instance been offered a place on the course following interview before publication of the BMAT results, and in the other have been rejected for entry following interview despite a satisfactory score. It is important that concerns over aptitude tests are aired as they are important tools for admissions tutors to use. However, it is also vital in any such debate not to overstate their importance. Aptitude tests are, and for the foreseeable future will remain to be, only one arrow in the extensive and sometimes daunting quiver of the medical school admissions system. Competing interests: None declared |
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