Sex differences as a catalyst for the next step in surgeon personality research

Dear Editor,

Average differences in personality characteristics between sexes have been well-documented in the general population, but much less is known about such variations in surgeons. Blohm and colleagues ¹ explored sex differences in the personality of 223 general surgeons in Sweden and revealed that female surgeons demonstrated higher scores than their male colleagues in conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. While the differences in the latter three domains are consistent with patterns in the general population, the finding of a sex-specific difference in conscientiousness is remarkable and warrants further attention. ²

The domain of conscientiousness is composed of distinct (sub-)aspects, and typically, men tend to score higher on industriousness (e.g. goal pursuit), while women have average higher scores in orderliness (e.g. being organized and detail-focused). ² Consequently, these aspect differences often balance out, resulting in roughly equivalent overall conscientiousness scores. The current disparity, however, suggests that women surgeons in Sweden may possess a stronger industrious aspect of conscientiousness. While the authors mention that this might be related to perceived variances in surgical outcomes between men and women surgeons, the sub-aspects of personality were not considered.

The findings do raise several unaddressed questions for the future of surgeon personality research: What drives these differences in conscientiousness scores—are they rooted in heightened industriousness shaped by (self-)selection processes within a traditionally male-dominated field? Are there specific personality traits that are beneficial for succeeding in surgery, and how might an awareness of these traits inform clinical decision-making? How do personality traits of younger generations of surgeons evolve in response to shifting values around work-life balance?

The article of Blohm and colleagues provides an important starting point, yet, more importantly, it should serve as a catalyst for the next phase of personality research in medicine. Studies that examine the personality profiles of surgeons at the aspect-level, alongside systemic and cultural factors, are essential.^3,4,5 A more nuanced understanding of (surgeon) personality could inform training paradigms, team compositions, and decision-making strategies to enable a surgical environment that values diverse strengths and, above all, improve surgical team performance.