Naturopathic medical student empathy and burnout: A preliminary study

Many studies have demonstrated empathy decline in medical students over the course of training. Burnout negatively affects academic or professional performance and has been negatively correlated with empathy. Neither empathy nor burnout has been previously studied in naturopathic medical students.

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to (1) compare empathy at different levels of training, (2) describe the prevalence of burnout, and (3) identify correlations between empathy and burnout, in naturopathic medical students.

This cross-sectional study used the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure empathy and burnout, respectively, in an online survey of current naturopathic medical students at one institution.

1) There was no significant difference in empathy between any cohorts or between those in internship versus those not in internship. 2) Among burnout outcomes, 42% of participants met criteria for emotional exhaustion, 19% for depersonalization, and 64% for low sense of personal accomplishment. 3) Cognitive empathy was positively correlated with affective empathy and a higher sense of personal accomplishment and negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

While a longitudinal study would provide more definitive evidence, this study suggests that empathy in naturopathic medical students is relatively stable over the course of training. It also demonstrates that burnout is prevalent in this population and has an inverse relationship with empathy. Interventions to prevent burnout and increase empathy are discussed.