Myers-Briggs Breakdown: Ideal Medical Specialty Based on Personality

There are several factors that determine what specialty is the best fit for you. While far from scientific, one factor at play is your personality type. These are the best specialties to choose according to Myers-Briggs.

Before we get started, take this video with a grain of salt. All personality tests have their limitations, which we covered in another video that digs into the science behind their effectiveness.

This article is meant as a conversation starter and exercise for those of you who are struggling to choose a medical specialty. Any personality type can find success in any specialty, but there are very real factors that will make it more or less difficult for you. For example, someone who prefers calm and steady work environments may not enjoy the fast pace of emergency medicine, whereas someone who craves new and exciting experiences may not be fulfilled by radiology.

View Myers-Briggs, and any personality assessment, as a non-scientific lens to evaluate and better understand your own personal preferences and the preferences of those around you.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, is one of the more popular personality tests around. It assigns people a four letter type based on four personality components.

Types are broken down between:

• Introversion or Extroversion, I versus E
• Sensing or Intuition, S versus N
• Thinking or Feeling, T versus F, and
• Judging or Perceiving, J versus P

Your MBTI is a combination of four letters, which leads to 16 distinct personality types.

For example, ESTJ, INFP, or ENTP.

Let’s first break down the four components of Myers-Briggs. Stay to the end to learn what medical specialty your MBTI best aligns with.

 

Introversion vs Extroversion   

The first component is introversion versus extroversion.

People often misunderstand the terms introvert and extrovert. Being an introvert is not synonymous with being antisocial, just as being an extrovert is not synonymous with being a social butterfly. It’s a bit more complex than that.

Introversion and extroversion refer to how you get your energy and how you choose to spend that energy.

Introverts get their energy from being alone with their work, a good book, or just their thoughts. They derive a great deal of satisfaction from their inner world. Extroverts, on the other hand, get their energy from the outer world, being around people and engaging in social activities.

In medicine, introverts and extroverts can go into any specialty they choose; however, some specialties involve more social interaction and excitement than others.

This is the easiest component of Myers-Briggs to grasp, which makes it the most popular. You’ve likely considered if you’re an introvert or extrovert before. We have guides that cover the top medical specialties for introverts and the top medical specialties for extroverts on the Med School Insiders blog, as well as YouTube videos on the subject.

Specialties that include little interaction or short interactions with patients are best suited for introverts, such as:

• Radiology,
• Pathology, or
• Anesthesiology

Radiology is an ideal specialty for introverts, as radiologists spend a great deal of their day-to-day alone reading images.

Pathology is also typically associated with introverts because of its limited patient interactions. Many pathologists spend a significant amount of time in the lab looking at samples, and most of their social interactions involve speaking to coworkers in the lab or other doctors.

Anesthesiology is another great specialty for introverts because anesthesiologists don’t spend much time talking to their patients. After they finish their pre-operative assessments, they put their patients to sleep and focus on monitoring the patient during surgery. They speak with surgeons or the surgical team briefly about the status of the patient, but only a few words here and there.

On the other hand, specialties that involve a lot of social interaction with a wide range of people are better suited to extroverts, such as:

• Psychiatry,
• Family Medicine & Pediatrics,
• Internal Medicine, and
• Surgical Specialties

Psychiatrists get to spend more time with their patients than many other physicians. It’s not uncommon to have 45 to 60 minute consultations with patients to get to the root of their problems. If you are drained by long encounters with humans, this could be a problem for you.

Family medicine and pediatrics are well-suited to extroverts for the same reasons. In these specialties, you spend a lot of time interacting with patients and can form lasting relationships that span years or even decades. Pediatricians spend a great deal of time and energy engaging with parents, kids, and other involved teams.

Internal medicine doctors see large numbers of patients and their families each day and must interact with various members of the healthcare team, including nurses, pharmacists, consultants, social workers, case managers, and more on a regular basis.

The surgical specialties, including both general surgery and surgical subspecialties like cardiothoracic surgery and orthopedics, are all excellent specialties for extroverts, especially those who like to take charge of a team. Some extroverts get their energy from being in leadership roles, and when you’re in the OR, the surgeon is the captain of the ship.

 

Sensing vs Intuition

The second component of MBTI is sensing versus intuition, labeled somewhat unintuitively as S versus N.

The sensing and intuition components refer to how you take in and process information.

Sensors pay more attention to the information they gather using their five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. In other words, they prioritize their physical, present reality and what they actually experience. Sensors focus on the individual trees, not the forest.

Intuitors focus on the patterns and possibilities of the information they receive and naturally read between the lines. They like to work with theories and what could be possible rather than what is. Intuitors see the big picture of the forest but often miss the trees within it.

As with every component of Myers-Briggs, you are not one or the other. Everyone uses both their senses and their intuition. Your MBTI indicates which one you favor most.

In medicine, both traits are necessary to be an effective doctor. You need to rely on your senses to make accurate observations about the patients in front of you, but you also need to think intuitively about how the patient’s presenting and how you can use patterns to diagnose and treat them.

However, some specialties are more reliant on one over the other.

For sensors, the best specialties are surgical specialties and primary care. Both surgeons and primary care doctors need to rely on their senses when they interact with their patients, since every small detail may help the physician uncover a diagnosis and provide accurate treatment.

On the other hand, psychiatry and neurology are well-suited for intuitive-leaning doctors. Both psychiatry and neurology rely on detecting patterns and impressions to properly diagnose and treat patients.

 

Thinking vs Feeling

The third component is thinking versus feeling.

Being a thinker has nothing to do with your level of intelligence, and being a feeler doesn’t mean you’re overly emotional. This component describes how you make decisions and interact with those around you.

Thinkers are analytical and logical and like to stick to objective facts. Feelers consider the personal concerns of the individuals involved and factor in how their relationships would change before making a final decision.

A feeler won’t tell you they hated the fruitcake you gave them at Christmas in order to spare your feelings and maintain harmony. A thinker will tell you truthfully they didn’t like it, and if pressed, will logically explain why it wasn’t good.

Again, everyone can use both thinking and feeling to come to a decision but will naturally lean to one or the other.

Both traits are important for any successful doctor. Doctors need to be able to make logical, objective decisions based on facts, but they also need to be empathetic and keep the patient’s concerns relevant when coming up with a plan.

People who lean toward thinking are generally better suited for specialties that involve less direct patient interaction, such as pathology and surgery.

When pathologists study biopsy results, there’s no subjectivity or human relationships involved. They use clinical context and biopsy results to provide valuable insight that can affect management.

Surgeons must still maintain their bedside manner, but they are typically known for getting straight to the point and being objective when it comes to treating their patients. A problem is identified, and surgery is how to fix that problem.

People who lean to feeling in their decision making make great primary care doctors, pediatricians, and psychiatrists. They will naturally prioritize bedside manner, always considering the feelings and preferences of the patients they interact with.

 

Judging vs Perceiving

The last component of Myers-Briggs is judging versus perceiving.

This component is the most commonly misunderstood. It describes how you structure your life and the behaviors other people see in you. Do you like to make firm decisions and have things decided, or do you prefer to stay open to new possibilities?

Judgers prefer more structure in their lives. They would rather a decision be made and set in stone. They’re more likely to make and stick to a five or ten year plan. Judgers live by an “early is on time” mantra. They make sure work is complete before play, rarely rushing to meet a deadline. They are uncomfortable with procrastination.

These may all sound like ideal traits for medical students and future doctors, but the downside to judgers is they can focus so much on the goal that they miss new information. They struggle to adapt if a plan is disrupted and have difficulty managing change.

Perceivers live more flexible and adaptable lifestyles. They don’t work to play and instead aim to blend both work and play. Generally, they are procrastinators who are stimulated and motivated by deadlines, working in bursts of energy. Perceivers are natural improvisers who are comfortable dealing with the unknown.

A perceiver may have a five or ten year plan too, but it’s more likely that plan will change and evolve as they take in new information.

Judgers are commonly misrepresented as being more organized when, in actuality, both judgers and perceivers can be equally organized or disorganized. This characterization revolves more around how other people see you living your life.

Generally, judging and perceiving are more personal characteristics surrounding how you live your life rather than a trait that directly affects patient care. However, a physician’s lifestyle varies significantly across various specialties.

A judger may find it difficult to constantly be on-call for the rest of their career or to adapt to the many unpredictable situations that arise in emergency medicine.

A perceiver, on the other hand, may enjoy the excitement of an on-call lifestyle or find fulfillment in specialties that are constantly evolving.

 

The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types by Medical Specialty

Now that you have an understanding of the four components that make up MBTI, we’re at the fun part. What MBTI do you relate to most, and what specialties are best suited to each of the 16 types?

First, if you don’t already know your MBTI, take a few different tests and compare your results. Remember that Myers-Briggs is far from an accurate or reliable science, and you may get different results on different tests or on different days on the same test.

Do your own research on the various types to determine the best fit. Most will show you a scale of where you fall between the two letters. If you’re close on any component, be sure to read up on both types to help you determine what you relate to most.

The following specialty matchups are rough approximations and are certainly up for debate. Just because you don’t see your preferred specialty align with your personality type does not mean you won’t find success in that field. For example, I am an ENTJ and fell in love with plastic surgery, which best matches with the ESFP type.

ENFP is the Campaigner. They are friendly, charming, and outgoing people pleasers. Their perceptive and enthusiastic nature makes them ideally suited to pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, and physiatry.

Examples: Mark Twain, Spider-Man, Robin Williams

ENFJ is the Protagonist. They are action-oriented, charismatic leaders who are reliable and get things done. Similar to ENFP, they are well-suited to family medicine and internal medicine. Their altruistic and intense nature also aligns well with becoming a pediatric intensivist.

Examples: Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Padme Amidala

INFP is the Healer. They are idealistic, empathetic, imaginative, open-minded, and eager to please. INFPs often pursue work that gives them purpose, which is why global health, palliative care, and psychiatry are ideal options.

Examples: Frodo Baggins, William Shakespeare, Princess Diana

INFJ is the Advocate. They are insightful, imaginative, and empathetic, which make them ideal psychiatrists. They are also tireless idealists who seek purpose in their work, so an area of medicine dedicated to advocating for others, such as pediatrics, global health, or gender surgery, is a good fit.

Examples: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela

ENTP is the Debater. They are curious, sociable people who enjoy challenging ideas and brainstorming new ones. They like to live on the cutting edge, always seeking what’s innovative and intellectually stimulating. Rheumatology, neurology, and infectious disease specialties will continue to excite ENTPs.

Examples: Tony Stark, Richard Feynman, Leonardo Da Vinci

INTP is the Analyst. They are innovative, objective, and original thinkers. These types have a thirst for knowledge, but since they prefer to work alone, radiology, pathology, or anything that involves a heavy amount of solo research is an excellent fit.

Examples: Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Yoda

ENTJ is the Commander. They are bold leaders who want to carve a path for themselves and others. ENTJs are energized by a challenge and often become inspiring leaders due to their confidence, clear vision, and determination. Ideal specialties include neurosurgery, trauma surgery, and anything that can develop into a leadership position. Leading a medical startup could also be a good fit, along with, COUGH COUGH physician entrepreneur.

Examples: Steve Jobs, Napoleon Bonaparte, Princess Leia Organa

INTJ is the Architect. They are fiercely independent, dissatisfied with what’s easy, and have a plan for everything. In fictional stories, they are capable of great good or great evil. Their commitment to their vision is unwavering, but unlike ENTJ, they’re not as good with people. They are best suited for cardiology, ophthalmology, neurology, and neurosurgery.

Examples: Elon Musk, Walter White, Gandalf

ESTP is the Entrepreneur. They are bold, direct, and can be impatient. They seek adventure and want to be where the action is. They are able to make quick decisions that are both rational and practical, making them well-suited to emergency medicine, trauma surgery, or global health surgery. Working for a medical startup is also a good fit.

Examples: Ernest Hemingway, Alexander the Great, Han Solo

ISTP is the Virtuoso. They are bold experimenters who value freedom and enjoy solving problems. They are creative and spontaneous but also practical and relaxed, which makes them great in a crisis. Emergency medicine, sports medicine, and global health, ideally working in war torn countries, is a great fit for ISTPs.

Examples: Indiana Jones, Arya Stark, Tom Cruise

ESTJ is the Executive. They are direct, dedicated, organized, and like to be in charge. You will often find them telling other people what to do without being prompted. This makes them a great fit for stereotypically ego-driven specialties like cardiology and neurosurgery. The strict hierarchy of military medicine, or medical management in general, may also be a good fit.

Examples: Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Clinton, Dwight Schrute

ISTJ is the Logistician. They are practical, reliable, responsible, strong-willed people who are adamant about following the rules and base their decisions on facts over feelings. Resistant to change, they seek steady, stable careers. Ideal specialties include pathology, anesthesiology, and any specialty that isn’t constantly changing or evolving.

Examples: Ned Stark, George Washington, Warren Buffet

ESFP is the Entertainer. They are spontaneous, energetic, enthusiastic, and focused on aesthetics. They are observant doers with excellent people skills. This type aligns best with plastic surgery and dermatology, but may also make good pediatricians, as they are great at engaging with children—think Robin Williams in Patch Adams.

Examples: Elton John, Marilyn Monroe, Joey Tribbiani

ISFP is the Adventurer. They are charming, open-minded, and warm free spirits who like to live in the moment. ISFPs view life as a canvas. Freedom and self-expression are their top priorities. Like ESFP, plastic surgery and dermatology are well-suited, as well as specialties that offer a constant flow of new experiences, like global health and emergency medicine.

Examples: Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Legolas

ESFJ is the Consul. They are attentive, altruistic, and people-focused. They have a talent for making people feel cared for and supported, which makes them an ideal fit for healthcare. In particular, they are best suited for OB/GYN and palliative care, as well as family medicine and pediatrics.

Examples: Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, Sansa Stark

ISFJ is the Defender. They are warm, protective, unassuming, and hardworking. They are true givers who always put others before themselves. They are the least introverted of the introvert types. As with ESFJ, ISFJs are also well-suited for OB/GYN, palliative care, family medicine, and pediatrics, though their introverted and routine-seeking nature may help them excel in anesthesiology as well.

Examples: Captain America, Samwise Gamgee, Beyonce

 

Does Your Myers-Briggs Align With Your Specialty Preference?

Now, of course, you should not base your career path on your Myers-Briggs personality type for multiple reasons. There are so many different critical factors that come into play when deciding what specialty you want to pursue for the rest of your life, and this assessment should by no means limit you. Any personality assessment works in broad generalizations and can also reinforce stereotypes.

However, our communication styles, lifestyle preferences, stress tolerance, and ideals make some specialties a better fit than others.

It’s our hope that this video will spark a thoughtful and engaging conversation. As MBTI lacks validity, this is mostly for fun, but let us know if you’d like to see a similar article using the Big 5, which has established validity and scientific backing. Please share your experiences and ideas in the comments below. What’s your Myers-Briggs, and does it align with the specialty you’re most interested in or have already pursued?

Choosing a specialty is only the first step. After you decide on a specialty, you still need to match into it. Med School Insiders has a variety of services to help you every step of the way. From residency application editing to USMLE prep and mock interviews, we’ve got you covered.

There’s a reason we’ve become the fastest-growing company in the space with industry-leading satisfaction ratings. It’s because we deliver results. We’d love to be a part of your journey in becoming a future physician in whatever specialty you pursue. Learn more about our Residency Admissions Services.

To learn more about the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the accuracy of other personality tests, check out our article: Personality Tests – Research Science Explained.