Personality Traits and Sex-based Differences in Surgical Career Choice

Background: The surgical workforce is facing a projected shortage, partly driven by declining interest in surgical careers among medical students. While structural and lifestyle factors have been widely studied, the role of individual personality traits in shaping career interest remains incompletely understood. This study examined the association between personality traits, sex differences, prior surgical experience, and interest in pursuing a surgical career among medical students. Methods: In this single-center, cross-sectional observational study, fourth-year medical students completing a two-week surgical clerkship were invited to participate. Personality traits were assessed using the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Students completed questionnaires before and after the clerkship evaluating perceptions of surgery, self-assessed skills, and career interest. Group differences and associations were analysed using t tests, ANOVA, paired-samples t tests, and correlation analyses. Results: Seventy-three students (63% female) were included. Students interested in a surgical career scored significantly higher on extraversion and lower on agreeableness compared with those without surgical interest. Female students demonstrated higher agreeableness, whereas male students scored higher on extraversion. Perceived personality fit for surgery was strongly associated with surgical career interest (ρ = .646, p < .001). Prior surgical experience was significantly associated with greater interest in surgery, and overall interest increased following completion of the clerkship (p = .034). Conclusions: Personality traits, particularly extraversion and agreeableness, as well as perceived personality fit and prior surgical exposure, are significantly associated with medical students’ interest in pursuing a surgical career. Early clinical exposure and educational strategies addressing perceived mismatches between personality traits and surgical identity may support more inclusive recruitment into surgery.