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Measuring empathy in medical students: A cross-sectional study
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal1, Areej Riyadh AlBuraikan2, Afnan Abdullah AlQarni3
1Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Medical student empathy declines with academic progression, with higher scores observed in females and high-achieving students. This trend requires urgent attention to maintain compassionate care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for effective patient care.
- Understanding factors influencing medical student empathy is vital for curriculum development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess empathy levels in undergraduate medical students.
- To investigate associations between empathy and gender, academic year, and academic achievement.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 391 medical students.
- Utilized the validated student version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy.
- Data analyzed using SPSS 23.
Main Results:
- Overall mean empathy score was 105.18±12.51.
- Empathy scores decreased significantly with advancing academic year (p<0.05).
- Higher empathy scores were found in female students and those with higher GPAs (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- A concerning decline in medical student empathy occurs during academic studies.
- Interventions may be needed to address this empathy reduction.
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