Abstract
PurposeThis study was conducted to assess the developmental factors of empathy among medical students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).MethodsTo assess the empathy levels, 42 first-year and an equal number of last-year medical students were randomly selected. They answered a questionnaire including the medical student version of the Jefferson Scale, demographic, and some related variables. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-square test, T-test, univariate, and multivariate regressions.ResultThe study population consisted of 51 (60.7 %) men and 33 (39.3 %) women with a mean (SD) age of 22.24 (4.10) years. The Jefferson score was 110.19 ± 13.61 and 103.52 ± 20.00 in first- and last-year medical students, respectively. Moreover, medical students who completely passed at least one of the considered empathy courses of the TUMS curriculum had higher empathy scores compared to their counterparts (109.83 ± 15.54 vs. 103.68 ± 19.02). There was no significant association between empathy and gender, self-experience of illness, marital status, family history of chronic disease, and parents’ education (all P-values > 0.05). After adjusting for the effects of confounders, the empathy scores were significantly associated with the academic year level (p = 0.04), level of interest in medicine (p = 0.001), and passing the empathy courses (p = 0.04).ConclusionsThe data provided from a top Iranian medical school indicated that the academic year level, level of interest in medicine, and passing the empathy courses were significantly associated with the empathy level. Further studies are recommended.
Highlights
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel others and the art of seeing the world from others’ perspectives [1]
The data provided from a top Iranian medical school indicated that the academic year level, level of interest in medicine, and passing the empathy courses were significantly associated with the empathy level
Some countries consider empathy training as part of the medical curriculum related to the subject of professional ethics [2], which teaches the students how to communicate with the patient and their companions [3]
Summary
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel others and the art of seeing the world from others’ perspectives [1]. Some countries consider empathy training as part of the medical curriculum related to the subject of professional ethics (professionalism) [2], which teaches the students how to communicate with the patient and their companions [3]. Early professional training has been added to the Iranian undergraduate medical curriculum besides basic sciences to encourage multidimensionality and altruism. The curriculum of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) consists of three types of courses that can improve and teach empathy directly or indirectly: First, longitudinal weekly courses presented in the first three years at the faculty, with three extra sessions exactly before entering the hospitals including panels for personal growth such as decision-making, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in the hospital context. Religious and spiritual courses that encourage self-devotion and a good relationship with human beings based on Islamic teachings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
