RP-15 CHARACTERISATION OF PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS OF MIM-UALG STUDENTS IN A 3 MEDICAL SCHOOLS’ FRAMEWORK

• Main Author: Galinha, Catarina
• Publication Date: 2023
• Other Authors: Nzwalo, Hipólito, Neto, Isabel, Afonso, Ricardo, Nunes, Sofia, Marreiros, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://doi.org/10.25751/rspa.27444
• topic: Resumos de Congresso

Objectives: Given the specificity of Algarve University, as the only medical school in the country with exclusively postgraduate program, it is relevant to make the assessment of personality traits that characterise its medical students, and compare it with two other national medical schools. Methods: NEO-FII was the selected instrument to assess personality dimensions. NEO- FII was applied only once, to students who entered in medicine of the studied medical schools, during the academic years 2004/2005 to 2018/2019. Descriptive statistics were calculated and chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and t-student tests were applied for statistical significance between groups of data, factor analysis to reduce dimensionality of the dimensions of the NEO-FFI and k-means clusters procedure. Results and discussion: Gender instils differences in the dimensions 'neuroticism', 'agreeableness' and 'conscientiousness' (p <0.001), being superior in females. Age, except in ‘conscientiousness’ (p=0.224), influences the majority of personality dimensions (p<0.01) and students on postgraduate program have different dimensions than the undergraduate program (p<0.05). The five dimensions of Minho University and Beira Interior University students were highly correlated and in Algarve University the dimensions were decomposed into two components: one composed of ‘neuroticism’ and the other of ‘extraversion’, ‘agreeableness’ and ‘conscientiousness’. From the cluster’s procedure, five student profiles were identified, with only one profile being common among schools. Conclusions: Students presented different personality profiles between medical schools. Personality profile of MIM-UAlg population stands out for presenting the lowest values of 'neuroticism' and the highest values of 'extraversion', 'openness to experience' and 'agreeableness '.