Personality type and curriculum preference in primary care

The study was conducted to examine the impact which personality types may have on the selection process of two preclinical medical school curricula. The two curricula run concurrently at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. One curriculum has a conventional-lecture format, and the other a new student-centered curriculum, which is designed to graduate students planning careers in rural primary-care. Results indicated that those students preferring the innovative curriculum were personality types unlikely to enter rural primary-care, whereas students preferring the conventional curriculum had personality profiles more consistent with those making rural primary-care career choices. Discussion deals with the implications of personality type and curriculum choice in terms of the curriculum goals and educational method.