title: Are there gender differences in the emotional intelligence of resident physicians?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because academic literature indicates that emotional intelligence (EI) is tied to work performance, job satisfaction, burnout, and client satisfaction, there is great interest in understanding physician EI.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether gender differences in resident EI profiles mirror EI gender differences in the general population.
  A total of 325 residents in 3 types of residency programs (pathology, pediatrics, and general surgery) at 3 large academic institutions were invited electronically to complete the validated Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), a tool consisting of 153 items that cluster to 15 independent facets, 4 composite factors, and 1 global EI score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 42.8% (n = 139, women = 84). Global EI was not significantly different between men and women resident physicians (p = 0.74). Women scored higher than men in the TEIQue facets impulse control (p = 0.004) and relationships (p = 0.004). Men scored higher than women in 2 facets, stress management (p = 0.008) and emotion management (p = 0.023). Within surgery (n = 85, women = 46), women scored higher than men in impulse control (p = 0.006), whereas men scored higher in stress management (p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Men and women residents across 3 specialties demonstrated near-identical global EI scores. However, gender differences in specific TEIQue facets suggest that similar to the general population, men and women residents may benefit from specific training of different EI domains to enhance well-rounded development. The lack of significant gender differences within surgery may indicate that surgery attracts individuals with particular EI profiles regardless of gender. Future research should focus on the functional relationship between educational interventions that promote targeted EI development and enhanced clinical performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: skmckinley@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sophia K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Emil R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Petrusa
authors.affiliation: ePsy Consultancy, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiedeldey-Van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Smink
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Shannon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Scott-Vernaglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Tara S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: W Stephen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Black-Schaffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Phitayakorn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male
keywords: ACGME core competencies; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Patient Care; Professionalism; emotional intelligence; gender differences; surgical education; surgical residency