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

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. 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.