Empathy in medical students: A cross sectional comparative study
Journal Title: Medpulse International Journal of Psychology - Year 2017, Vol 4, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Empathy is a capacity to predict and respond to feelings and behaviors’ of others by inferring their emotional states. The patient physician relationship is the center of medicine. One of the major tasks of medical educators is to help maintain and increase trainee empathy for patients. Aim: To measure empathy levels in medical students and to compare empathy levels by year,sex, locality and specialty choice. Methods: The evaluation was done in 584 medical students of Mamata Medical College by using self-structured demographic proforma and Jefferson’s physician empathy scale-student version. Data was analyzed and comparison was done using T-tests and one way- ANOVA. Results: In our study highest empathy scores were seen immediately after entering the medical college. Significantly low scores were seen in fourth year, internship students and post graduates when compared with first year students (p<0.01 ; p=<0.01 ;p=<0.01). Females out-rated males in empathy scores (p<0.01). Medical students prevailing from rural locality have higher scores when compared to semi urban and urban students. No considerable difference was seen based on choice of medical specialty. Conclusion: Development and maintenance of empathy in medical students can be done by more continuously emphasizing this in the medical education in internship.
Authors and Affiliations
Murali Krishna V, Gautham Tailam, Vishnu Gade, Pramod KR Mallepalli
Keywords
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