Results of Bortner's and Eysenck's questionnaires in students of the fifth year of the First Medical Faculty of Charles University

Objective. To assess selected personality traits and attitudes of future physicians, affecting both success in medical work, and subjective experience of stress associated with this work. Subjects and setting. Two questionnaires were chosen (Eysenck Personality Inventory, EPI-A and Bortner questionnaire) and applied to medical students of the 5th year (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine, between 1989 to 2003, N = 2682, including 1565 women) with a reference group of unselected population over 14 years. Hypothesis. Medics should not differ from unselected population, any deviations should appear in the direction of the properties required for doctors. Statistical analysis. Descriptive characteristics of the sample, t-test, Man-Whitney nonparametric U test. Results. Female students had lower A-type of behaviour: -4.63 (SD 21.46) compared to population, male students did not differ: -3.92 (SD 22.18). Hostility: both female and male students were more hostile: -9.88 (SD 17.69), -7.86 (SD 18.00) respectively. Irritability was lower in both gender: female -4.21 (SD 13.44), male -5.95 (SD 14.13). Relaxation ability was better both in female -6,86 (SD 15.07) and male students -7,29 (SD 15.64), as well as interpersonal sensitivity: female +5,08 (SD 15,31), male +3,33 (SD 14.32), or lower level of frustration: female students -6.3 (SD 16.00), male students -7.82 (SD 15.87). Statistically significant differences according to gender were found in neuroticism (lower in male students), hostility (higher in male students), irritability (lower in male students) and frustration (lower in male students). Significant difference between the first (19891995) and second (1998-2003) follow-up period was found only in the relaxation ability of female students (worse) and frustration level in male students (better). Comparison of extremely scoring individuals in undesirable traits showed that a group of female students included fewer (%) such persons than can be expected in a normally distributed population, while among male students the extreme scorers were in a roughly the same proportion as in other normal distributions with the exception of the type A behaviour (less extreme). Conclusion: The followed group of medical students displayed personality and behavioural attributes suitable for their future work. Limitations of the study. The results only relate to those questionnaires, and a population of medical students of one medical school.