All the healthy behaviors we’ve mentioned on the blog this week can also strengthen your tolerance for ambiguity. Studies have measured this quality in medical students and physicians for years. Several studies have shown that a physician's ability to tolerate ambiguity correlates to their level of psychological well-being. Those with a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty "tend to report a higher rate of referrals, burnout, and anxiety, and lower level of satisfaction, less comfort in dealing with dying patients, and higher levels of dogmatism, rigidity, and conformism," according to a 2017 study in Medical Teacher, which utilizes many others' findings as well as their own assessments.
Schools are very interested in your reactivity and ability to handle uncertainty. In 2019, the AAMC surveyed students using a Tolerance for Ambiguity (TFA) Scale. Scores could range from 7 to 42, with higher scores correlating to a higher tolerance for ambiguity. The mean for incoming medical students across all schools was 24.9. Want to do better than that? Take care of yourself—and be ready to grow. A study published in 2021 found that strong TFA over time was associated with greater empathy and openness to diversity.