Personality type profiles of medical students and their differences by gender, age, and academic level in Korea: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE: Understanding the psychological characteristics of contemporary medical students is essential for effective educational design and learner support. This study aimed to identify medical students' personality types using a geometric personality assessment tool (GEOPIA), determine whether differences exist by gender, age, or academic level, and explore the practical utility of such profiling for supporting educational practices in medical school settings. METHODS: The 40-item Korean Geometric Psychological Assessment (GEOPIA) was administered to 1,173 students across 5 Korean medical schools. GEOPIA classifies individuals into 4 primary types-Round (sociable, relationship-oriented), Triangle (task-oriented, challenging), Box (prudent, stability-seeking), and Curve (creative, sensitive). Frequency analyses and χ2 tests were conducted. Of the 1,016 respondents (response rate, 86.61%), 981 were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: The most common primary type was Round (40.3%), followed by Box (31.7%), Triangle (15.2%), and Curve (12.8%). Across the 12 combined profiles, Round-Box (21.9%) was the most prevalent, followed by Box-Round (19.0%) and Round-Triangle (9.7%). No significant differences were observed by gender (χ2=6.360, P=0.095, Cramer's V=0.082), age (χ2=8.314, P=0.091, Cramer's V=0.065), or academic level (χ2=18.044, P=0.260, Cramer's V=0.078). CONCLUSION: GEOPIA may provide a practical tool for identifying learner characteristics and supporting educational decision-making in medical school settings. In instructional design, personality-type data can inform group formation, activity planning, and assignment structure. In student support, the tool offers instructors and advisors a quick way to understand learners' characteristics, which may help guide individualized counseling and promote effective learning experiences.