Core Character Traits for Family Medicine

Abstract

US medical school graduates-65 more than in 2007-chose family medicine for their careers, and 2,404 of 2,654 family medicine residency positions were taken, for a fi ll rate of nearly 91%.

<p>Dispositional Humility Of Clinicians In An Interprofessional Primary Care Environment: A Mixed Methods Study</p>

“…Because dispositional humility promotes a trusting relationship and genuine partnership, the recognition of the contribution of patients toward successful outcomes may influence shared responsibility in healthcare; 3) educational curricular development. The Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors describe the character traits that they look for in the National Match as: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent 12. Many of these character traits are consistent with the concept of dispositional humility, and humility traits in highly determined and intelligent candidates could be facilitated by designing appropriate curricula in professional healthcare training programs; and 4) Personality tests as a tool for candidate selection.…”

“…The Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) Board, as articulated by Mark Robinson et al (2008), states that: “Faculty, staff, and residents spend many hours carefully scrutinizing dean’s letters, transcripts, USMLE scores, letters of recommendation and interview data” for the National Match process for residency positions. The AFMRD Board looks for character traits consistent with what one would expect in a good family physician, traits that include being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent 12. Many of the character traits described above can be associated with the character trait of humility; however, assessing the level of humility of individuals can be complex.…”