Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025
10:26
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
4.0K
The integrated curriculum and student empathy: a longitudinal multi-cohort analysis
Christiane R Herber-Valdez1,2, Julie A Blow3, Tammy T Salazar4,5
1Office of Academic Affairs, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso, 5001 El Paso Drive, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA. Christiane.herber-valdez@ttuhsc.edu.
Advances in Health Sciences Education : Theory and Practice
|November 9, 2023
Summary
Medical student empathy in the U.S. does not decline by program end, contrary to some studies. Early and continuous patient interaction in integrated curricula may protect empathy levels throughout medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Empathy in Healthcare Professionals
- Longitudinal Study Design
Background:
- Previous U.S. studies indicate empathy erosion in medical students during clinical years.
- International studies have not consistently confirmed this empathy decline.
- Early and extensive patient interaction is hypothesized to be an empathy-protective factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess empathy trajectories in U.S. medical students.
- To investigate if empathy declines in the third and fourth years of medical school.
- To examine the impact of an integrated curriculum with early patient contact on empathy.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of empathy in six student cohorts (N=493) from 2010-2019.
- Utilized the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student version at five time points.
- Employed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Linear Mixed Model (LMM) for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Empathy levels did not show an overall decline by the end of the medical program.
- Empathy trajectories varied among cohorts, but none demonstrated a significant decrease.
- LMM analysis indicated empathy was significantly higher or unchanged at program completion.
Conclusions:
- Empathy in U.S. medical students can be maintained or increased by the end of their education.
- Findings support the context-specific nature of empathy development in medical training.
- Early and integrated patient interaction may be crucial for preserving empathy.
Keywords:
Clinical trainingCurriculumEmpathyMedical educationMedical studentsStudent-patient interactionMore Related Videos
12:55Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
8.5K
00:08A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
7.1K
Related Concept Videos
02:20Longitudinal Research
12.0K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
12.0K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
171
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
171
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
11.3K
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
11.3K
02:34Empathy
9.6K
Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
9.6K
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
56
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
56
01:11Observational Studies
8.7K
Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
8.7K