Empathy in Medical Students: A Study Comparing First and Final Year Students
Author Information
Author(s): Magalhães Eunice, Salgueira Ana P, Costa PatrÃcio, Costa Manuel J
Primary Institution: School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Hypothesis
Empathy scores for first year medical students will be higher than for senior students, and female students will have higher scores than male students.
Conclusion
Senior year medical students have higher empathy scores than first year students.
Supporting Evidence
- Empathy scores of final year students were statistically higher than those of first year students.
- Female students had higher empathy scores than male students.
- No significant differences in empathy were found based on specialty preferences.
Takeaway
This study found that older medical students are better at understanding how patients feel than younger students.
Methodology
Cross-sectional study using self-rated measures of empathy among medical students in Portugal.
Potential Biases
Self-reported measures may not accurately reflect true empathy levels.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and does not reflect real growth in empathy scores over time.
Participant Demographics
321 females (67.4%) and 155 males (32.6%) from first and sixth year medical students.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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