ArticleBMC medical education2024
Declining empathy trends throughout medical curriculum and association factors of low empathy among medical students and residents: a single center study.
Article in BMC medical education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Professionalism and Empathy Assessment in Undergraduate Medical Students: A Systematic Review.Medical science educator · 2026Review
- Empathy and attitudes toward palliative care among Chinese medical students: a cross-sectional study.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Assessing self-reported empathy among chiropractic students at a South African university.The Journal of chiropractic education · 2026Article
- Personality type profiles of medical students and their differences by gender, age, and academic level in Korea: a cross-sectional study.Journal of educational evaluation for health professions · 2026Article
- The current state of defensive medicine and its association with empathy: a cross-sectional study among graduate students in Guangxi, China.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Impact of medical school on quality of life and mental health in Brazil: a cross-sectional comparative study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- The relationship between empathy and mental health: A mediation model via rumination and interpersonal competence.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundA physician's empathy level substantially impacts clinical competence, patient relationships, and treatment outcomes. Yet, understanding empathy trends from medical students to resident doctors within a single institution is limited. This study delves into empathy trends within a single-center academic setting and identifies factors associated with low empathy.
methodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled the second-to sixth-year medical students of Phramongkutklao College of Medicine and the first-to second-year residents at Phramongkutklao Hospital. It utilized a standardized questionnaire covering demographics, family relationships, the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI), and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). The relationship between variables and JSE scores was analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Chi-square tests. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses examined associated factors and trends across educational levels. A quadratic term was incorporated to evaluate the presence of a nonlinear trend.
resultsA total of 520 participants, comprising 189 (36.4%) preclinical students, 153 (29.4%) clinical students, and 178 (34.2%) residents, completed the survey. The JSE showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. The average empathy score was 103.8 ± 15.0, with 27.1% of low empathy levels. Specialty preference and sex-adjusted average empathy scores decreased from 114.5 (95%CI: 112.0-117.0) among second-year medical students to 95.2 (95%CI: 92.2-98.2) among second-year residents (P
conclusionA declining empathy trend was observed among medical students, which then plateaued among residents. Additionally, residents in technology-oriented specialties may require empathy enhancements due to their ongoing patient consultations. Addressing these issues requires collaborative planning between students and teachers to foster empathy throughout the medical curriculum.
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