MBTI Type: ESTP

AJ is one of the top surgeons in his field, with delicate hands, a fierce courage, and a willingness to take on surgeries no one else will touch, out of fear of failure. We don’t see him much outside of the hospital, but he talks about all the physical activities he has undertaken and “conquered” when addressing his feelings with his dad about being abandoned and put up for adoption. He had to swim harder, climb bigger rocks, and outdo everyone he ever met to prove himself. AJ is very logical and detached; he tells Mina not to bring her feelings into his OR and refuses to let anyone operate on someone they know, since it would confuse the issue. When he has to make an exception, and one of his fellow doctors starts getting upset, AJ reminds her to center herself, and to stop thinking about this patient as a mother/grandmother and just see them as a task that needs done to the best of their ability. To prove to Mina that she’s emotionally compromised, and should not operate on her ex, he tells her that the man is now in a relationship and said “I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” AJ then says he’s sorry to hurt Mina’s feelings like that, but he needed to find out if she still cared—and she does. He uses his tert-Fe very well; he is likable and charming, able to calm down patients, and to make them trust him. He’s very good at reassuring them or delivering bad news in a gentle way. He is aware of work protocols enough to stay inside the boundaries, and not to date or sleep with his residents, since it would hurt their reputations. AJ shows very little Ni or interest in it, beyond desiring to set up a “legacy” in his field.

Enneagram: 8w9

AJ is one of the healthiest and best examples of an 8 I’ve ever seen. He is like a brick wall of self-confidence, who also admits that anger and a desire to “conquer the world” motivates him to excel. He says he had to try everything and win at life, because he kept thinking if he became amazing, his birth parents would regret having given him up for adoption. When his birth father blindsides him out of nowhere, AJ tells him not to push his buttons, because he will “annihilate yours.” When a doctor gets in his way and endangers his patients, AJ tells him “You do not want to have a problem with me.” AJ “benches himself” when he decides he needs to learn humility, rather than allow anyone to place any restrictions on him. Whenever he’s upset or feels threatened, AJ reacts with anger and asserts himself; but he also has a strong 9 wing. He lets an upset Mina rant at him in the OR, then says “You have had a hard day, so I am going to forgive what you said to me, but I will not forget it.” He is good at calming other people down, and dealing with his own anger, resistance to authority, and irritations. He wants to have a pleasant experience in the OR, and to be surrounded by the most talented team of people in the world. But it’s hard for him to admit how much he cares about people, or to be open with his feelings.

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