Personality Characteristics and Expressed Career Choice of Graduating Physical Therapy Students

We examined the personality characteristics of physical therapy students (N = 45) who had different career goals. We used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and a brief demographic information sheet to collect data at the conclusion of the 1982 spring semester. Analyses of variance indicated statistically significant differences (p less than .01) between those who desired careers as generalist clinicians versus specialist clinicians. The specialist group represented adaptive, curious problem solvers; the generalists demonstrated characteristics of precision, order, and preferences for routine procedure. The findings have implications for the job satisfaction of physical therapists and have ramifications for curriculum planning.