Bond introduces testing for emotional intelligence
IT takes more than smarts to be an effective doctor, according to Bond University’s Dean of Medicine Kirsty Forrest.
This trimester Bond University became the first in Australia to introduce emotional intelligence (EI) testing as part of the selection process for its sought-after medical program.
Professor Forrest said she was concerned that medical programs were attracting people who think you only need academic intelligence to become a good doctor, and “that is simply not true”.
“Emotional intelligence plays such a critical role in a career in medicine. You need to be able to work in a team, to change behaviour, and to display kindness, consideration and empathy,” she said.
As part of the Australian first selection process the May intake of 120 students were selected on both their both IQ as part of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and EI. The emotional intelligence testing was undertaken by an external Australian-owned organisation who specialise in the development and delivery of psychometric assessments.
“The result is a highly emotionally and academically intelligent cohort,” Prof Forrest said. “We don’t know what the medical professional of the future will look like, but we should be as flexible and adaptable as possible to ensure our students can deal with the patients of tomorrow.”