True Colors is a personality assessment tool with four “primary colors”: Blue, Gold, Green, and Orange. Amongst other traits, “Blues” are communicative, “Greens” are analytical, “Golds” are detail-oriented, and “Oranges” are spontaneous. There is limited literature investigating personality profiles within neurology, and none using True Colors.

True Colors data was analyzed for 151 medical students enrolled at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (Arizona campus) through 2021-2023. Academic performance was measured through National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and professor-written final exam scores.

Blue was the most common “primary color” (43.71%), followed by Green (25.83%), Gold (17.22%), and Orange (13.25%). Overall, the mean NBME score was 81.74% and final exam score was 84.98%. There was a significant difference in mean NBME score (p=0.0326) and final exam score (p=0.0140) between color groups. The Green cohort had a higher mean NBME (85.05% vs 80.58%, p=0.0023) and final exam scores (87.00% vs 84.28%, p=0.0108) compared to the remainder of students. The Orange cohort had a lower mean final exam score compared to the remainder of students (81.30% vs 85.54%, p=0.0487). Post-hoc analysis did not reveal a significant difference between individual color group pairings. A sub-group analysis of 51 students for whom data for in-person or virtual discussion group participation was available found no inter-color differences in NBME (p=0.5769 in-person, p=0.6077 virtual) or final exam scores (p=0.8682 in-person, p=0.3972) when stratified by color. 

Students in the Green cohort had stronger academic performance in our neuroscience course. This suggests that an analytical approach, abstract and independent thinking, and innovation may also be important traits for success within the field of neurology. Personality traits did not correlate with success in the in-person or virtual learning environments.