From Jerseys to Scrubs: Is Sport Background Associated with Medical Students’ Tolerance of Ambiguity and Uncertainty?

Purpose: Involvement in sport is common among prospective medical students and may serve as a foundation for the psychological wellbeing of future physicians. This study examined the relationship between medical students’ sport background and their tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty, an established factor in physician wellbeing and a key component in quality patient care. Method: Sixty-one 3rd year medical students (50% females) at a large Canadian university responded to a web-based survey (62% response rate). The survey included the 29-item TAMSAD (Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors) scale and sport background measures (sport type and level of involvement). Analysis of variance and correlational analysis were performed. Results: Analysis of variance indicated a significant mean difference in students’ TAMSAD scores based on sport type. Individual sport participants reported on average higher tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty than team sport participants. However, in team sport participants, their tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty tended to increase with an increase in sport involvement (from recreational to competitive). Discussion: The gained insights are valuable as involvement in dedicated, extracurricular activities such as sport has not been studied in relation to ambiguity and uncertainty tolerance in medical students. The findings have implications for medical education and professional practice. Medical students and physicians could draw on the attributes and skills developed in sport when responding to ambiguity and uncertainty in clinical settings. Those without a sport background could learn and apply some of the strategies athletes use to tackle setbacks and uncertainty in high-stakes situations. Medical school admissions, curriculum designers, and educators could use the knowledge in developing interview questions, designing educational innovations, and selecting instructional strategies for teaching clinical reasoning and decision making. Future research should include qualitative studies to provide in-depth explanations for the relationships observed in this study