Personality Types and Career Preferences Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Abstract

Background: Personality characteristics significantly influence medical students’ learning patterns, interpersonal skills, and long-term career satisfaction. While the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has been extensively used in Western medical education to support specialty selection, its cultural applicability and predictive value in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan remain underexplored, especially in the context of socioeconomic diversity and local healthcare dynamics. Objective: This study aimed to identify the distribution of MBTI personality types among medical students at Ayub Medical College and evaluate associations with preferred medical specialties and sociodemographic factors such as gender, urban-rural background, and family income. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted, targeting 150 MBBS students (n = 150) evenly sampled across all five academic years with equal gender representation (75 males, 75 females). Exclusion criteria included BDS students and incomplete responses. Data were collected using a modified MBTI questionnaire and demographic inventory, administered in person under standardized conditions. Primary outcomes included MBTI personality type distribution; secondary outcomes assessed preferred medical specialties and associations with demographic variables. Ethical approval was secured per the Declaration of Helsinki, and SPSS version 22 was used for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were employed to explore relationships, with p ≤ 0.05 denoting significance. Results: INFJ (16.7%), ISFJ (11.3%), and INFP (10.7%) were the most prevalent personality types. Surgery (40.7%) was the top specialty choice, especially among INFJ and ISFJ students. No significant associations were observed between personality types and income (χ² = 36.74, p = 0.805) or residence (χ² = 41.74, p = 0.611). Gender-wise, INFJ remained dominant, with notable ISFJ and INFP representation among females. Trends between personality and specialty were evident but not statistically significant. Conclusion: INFJ, ISFJ, and INFP emerged as dominant MBTI types among Pakistani medical students, with a strong preference for surgical careers irrespective of personality–specialty congruence observed in global literature. These findings suggest cultural and systemic influences in career decision-making, highlighting the value of integrating personality assessments in academic advising to enhance student satisfaction, professional alignment, and healthcare workforce planning.