Almost 34% of physicians identified as introverted in a Medscape survey of 15,000 physicians in 2018, a rate slightly higher than the U.S. average of 30%.
In a Nov. 17 viewpoint published in Medscape, author Sarah Garone explores the challenges and triumphs of introverted physicians. She writes that while having an introverted personality can “add to the already high emotional load of practicing medicine and may increase the risk for burnout,” it can also help elevate patient care.
According to the American Psychological Association, being introverted is characterized by an “orientation toward the internal private world of one’s self and one’s inner thoughts and feelings, rather than toward the outer world of people and things.”
Ms. Garone argues that introverts can be highly compassionate. “Even as someone who started off more introverted, the desire to help others was always the main motivation,” Andreas Kogelnik, MD, CEO and medical director at ProDx Health, said in the article. He added that his personality made him process his work in a “quiet, solitary way.”
When compared with their more extroverted counterparts, introverted physicians may connect with others in a way that’s slower, but potentially stronger, Ms. Garone writes, especially once patients realize a physician’s quiet demeanor isn’t a sign of tuning out but of “sincere attentiveness.”
Sarah Daniels, DO, a pediatrician and self-described introvert, said in the article that she has come to view her introversion as a “gift in the exam room,” as patients now specifically seek her out for her reputation as a compassionate physician who truly gets to know each of her patients.
The author cites a 2018 study by the University of Florida which found that during about 70% of visits, physicians interrupted patients after an average of 11 seconds. Introverted physicians may be more likely to give patients the time and space necessary to ask questions and listen more attentively.
