Purpose
This study explores the relationship between tolerance for ambiguity (TFA) in medical students and their performance during third-year clinical rotations, where processing uncertain or complex information is essential. TFA reflects the ability to navigate ambiguity effectively. By examining how TFA relates to clinical performance across different specialties, this research aims to provide insight into the relationship between TFA and the development of clinical skills and decision-making during a formative period of medical school.

Methods
Data for this study were drawn from institutional databases in accordance with an approved IRB protocol. Variables included TFA collected from the AAMC’s Matriculating Student Questionnaire at the conclusion of the pre-clinical phase and subjective clerkship performance captured through subjective evaluation scores for each specialty (FM, IM, Pediatrics, Surgery, Psychiatry, OB/GYN) on a 1-5 scale. A Kruskal-Wallis test with a Dunn post-hoc analysis was used to evaluate differences between the average clerkship scores in each specialty for students with low (20), medium (21 - 25), and high (25) TFA scores.

Results
Preliminary analysis of the 2022-2025 cohorts revealed no significant difference in clerkship performance in any of the six specialties for students with low, medium, and high TFA scores. Overall clerkship performance for students with high, medium, and low TFA scores were 4.54 ± 0.19, 4.51 ± 0.20, and 4.53 ± 0.19 respectively.

Conclusions
These findings suggest that TFA does not significantly influence clerkship performance across six core medical specialties. This indicates that other factors may play a more substantial role in shaping clinical success during third-year rotations. Understanding the nuanced contributions of non-technical skills like TFA to medical training could inform future curriculum design and student support strategies aimed at fostering success in clinical environments.