scholarly journals Medical Students’ Empathy Level Differences by Medical Year, Gender, and Specialty Interest in Akdeniz University

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 238212052094065
Author(s):  
Özge Akgün ◽  
Melahat Akdeniz ◽  
Ethem Kavukcu ◽  
Hasan Hüseyin Avcı

Background: As an important feature in patient-physician communication for both primary and clinical care, empathy is one of the basic competencies that physicians should possess. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the level of empathy among medical students in all years of medical training using two different instruments: the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (for clinical empathy level) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (for general empathy level). Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in 2017-2018 academic year with students studying at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine. Data collection form, Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) and Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) was applied to the students by the researchers. The statistical analysis was carried out by using IBM-SPSS version 23 for Mac OS. T-test, ANOVA test, Spearman and Pearson correlation analysis were used for comparisons. Results: The mean TEQ score of the students was 52.8/65 and the JSPE-S score was 80.3/100. TEQ scores of students increased up to 4th year and then decreased, but the difference between the years was not statistically significant. The third year students’ JSPE-S scores were significantly higher than that of the sixth year students. Conclusion: While the clinical empathy levels of medical students decreased significantly after 3rd year, the general empathy levels decreased less. This result shows us that we should review our medical education curriculum and educational environment, and should initiate initiatives, and devote more time to empathy education in order to prevent the decrease in empathy level and increase empathy during medical education.

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximiliano Servin-Rojas ◽  
Antonio Olivas-Martinez ◽  
Michelle Dithurbide-Hernandez ◽  
Julio Chavez-Vela ◽  
Vera L. Petricevich ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to medical education. However, no data are available regarding the impact the pandemic may have on medical training in Mexico. The aim of our study was to evaluate and identify the medical school students’ perceptions of the changes in their clinical training due to the pandemic in Mexico. Methods This was a cross-sectional study where a previous validated online survey was translated and adapted by medical education experts and applied to senior medical students from March to April of 2021. The 16-item questionnaire was distributed online combining dichotomous, multiple-choice, and 5-point Likert response scale questions. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the student’s perceptions between public and private schools. Results A total of 671 responses were included in the study period. Most participants were from public schools (81%) and female (61%). Almost every respondent (94%) indicated it was necessary to obtain COVID-19 education, yet only half (54%) received such training. Students in private schools were less likely to have their clinical instruction canceled (53% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have access to virtual instruction (46% vs. 22%, p = 0.001) when compared to students from public schools. Four out of every five students considered their training inferior to that of previous generations, and most students (82%) would consider repeating their final year of clinical training. Conclusions The impact of the COVID-19 on medical education in Mexico has been significant. Most final-year medical students have been affected by the cancellation of their in-person clinical instruction, for which the majority would consider repeating their final year of training. Efforts to counterbalance this lack of clinical experience with virtual or simulation instruction are needed.


Author(s):  
Hamza Waqar Bhatti ◽  
Syed Muhammad Jawad Zaidi ◽  
Mehwish Kaneez ◽  
Javeria Awan ◽  
Rashid Naeem Khan ◽  
...  

Background: The practice of effective feedback delivery in medical institutes of developing countries lags behind the modern principles of medical education. This demands the need to understand the students’ knowledge and perception regarding received feedback in the setting of a developing country. Aims: To assess the level of knowledge and perception of feedback among students. To find the correlation between knowledge and perception. To identify problematic areas in feedback delivery and provide recommendations for rectification. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in Rawalpindi Medical University Pakistan, in which 480 medical students from 2nd till 5th-year MBBS were evaluated regarding their knowledge and perception about feedback using structured questionnaires. Results: The students had a good level of knowledge regarding The concept of feedback. However, they had a negative perception of the feedback given to them by their teachers. There was no correlation between mean knowledge and perception scores (r=-0.05, p = 0.272). There was a significant difference between knowledge (p=0.0004) and perception (p=0.02) scores across gender. The difference in mean knowledge scores across academic years was not significant (p=0.267) but this difference was significant for mean perception scores (p=0.001). Conclusion: Strategies should be adopted to incorporate feedback into the curriculum for improving the quality of medical education in a developing country.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Huang ◽  
Angela Pei-Chen Fan ◽  
Na Su ◽  
Jessica Thai ◽  
Russell Olive Kosik ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Critical thinking (CT) is an essential competency for medical students. This study’s aim was to evaluate Chinese medical students’ disposition for CT and to explore the impact of current trends in medical education on students’ CT development. Methods We used multistage stratified cluster sampling to recruit a total of 1241 medical students among five different years of training and from three medical institutions in China. The Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and self-reported information were used to collect cross-sectional data. Based on the data from the CTDI-CV, 112 medical students in clinical course training from a single institution continued one-year follow-up. Their one-year CTDI-CV score changes were collected regarding various medical education variables. Results The mean CTDI-CV score of the 1241 medical students was 287.04 with 729 (58.7%) students receiving a score of 280 or higher. There were statistically significant differences in schools attended(F = 3.84, P < 0.05), year of school attended(F = 10.32, P < 0.001), GPA(F = 6.32, P < 0.01), weekly time spent learning after class(F = 14.14, P < 0.001), attitude toward medicine(F = 28.93, P < 0.001), desire to be a doctor after graduation(t = − 3.35, P < 0.001), familiarity with CT(F = 20.40, P < 0.001), and perception of importance of CT(F = 22.25, P < 0.001). The participants scored the highest on the CTDI-CV subscales of “inquisitiveness” and the lowest on “truth seeking.” The 112 students in the longitudinal study had significantly lower total CT scores after one academic year follow-up. Conclusions Chinese medical students generally exhibited positive CT dispositions. The cross-sectional survey and one-year longitudinal study indicated that students’ CT disposition diminished as they progressed through traditional medical training. Our study contributes to understanding the status of Chinese medical education of and influential factors on medical students’ CT disposition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zubaida Rashid ◽  
Imtenan Sharif ◽  
Imdad Ali Khushk ◽  
Abdullah Anis Raja

Background and Objectives: Clinicians need to build an astute doctor-patient relationship. The term clinical empathy is the ability of doctor to cognitively appreciate a patient’s perspective, experiences, and deliver such an understanding back to patient. Studies associate high physician empathy with improved patient trust and clinical outcomes. In Pakistan, there is paucity of research data on this relationship. This study assessed the empathy and its relation to fatigue levels among physicians and surgeons. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study involving 262 Physicians and Surgeons (1:1) chosen by convenience sampling method. Physicians and Surgeons were included from three hospitals in Rawalpindi from September 2017 to February 2018 and RAO soft sample calculator was used. The Jefferson Scale for Physician empathy (JSPE) (score range 20-140) and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) (score range 20-100) were used as data collection tools. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Statistical tests including T-test and Pearson Correlation were used. Results: Overall, mean score of empathy was found to be 98.8±21.9 (range; 46-138). The empathy in Physicians (106.8±18.3) was found to be greater than Surgeons (89.4±22.1) and the difference was statistically significant (p value <0.01). Mean score of fatigue was 50.6±16.0. The fatigue level in Surgeons was greater than Physicians and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p value < 0.01). Strong negative correlation was observed between empathy and fatigue (r= -0.5, p=<0.01) using Pearson correlation. Conclusion: Overall, physicians had better empathy than surgeons, while fatigue scores were higher among surgeons. Fatigue is associated with empathy decay. This research provides an understanding of empathy deterioration and other factors responsible for it. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.1973 How to cite this:Rashid Z, Sharif I, Khushk IA, Raja AA. Evaluation of empathy and fatigue among physicians and surgeons in tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.1973 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Author(s):  
Allison Brown ◽  
Aliya Kassam ◽  
Mike Paget ◽  
Kenneth Blades ◽  
Megan Mercia ◽  
...  

Background: The evidence surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on medical learners remains anecdotal and highly speculative despite the anticipated impact and potential consequences of the current pandemic on medical training. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent that COVID-19 initially impacted medical learners around the world and examine global trends and patterns across geographic regions and levels of training. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of medical learners was conducted between March 25–June 14, 2020, shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Results: 6492 learners completed the survey from 140 countries. Most medical schools removed learners from the clinical environment and adopted online learning, but students reported concerns about the quality of their learning, training progression, and milestone fulfillment. Residents reported they could be better utilized and expressed concerns about their career timeline. Trainees generally felt under-utilized and wanted to be engaged clinically in meaningful ways; however, some felt that contributing to healthcare during a pandemic was beyond the scope of a learner. Significant differences were detected between levels of training and geographic regions for satisfaction with organizational responses as well as the impact of COVID-19 learner wellness and state-trait anxiety. Conclusions: The disruption to the status quo of medical education is perceived by learners across all levels and geographic regions to have negatively affected their training and well-being, particularly amongst postgraduate trainees. These results provide initial empirical insights into the areas that warrant future research as well as consideration for current and future policy planning.


Author(s):  
Julius Martin Siagian ◽  
Elmeida Effendy ◽  
Mustafa M. Amin

To find out the difference of serum IL-2 levels between untreated and treated in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia and healthy control and also to find out the association between serum IL-2 levels with PANSS score in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia. This study was cross-sectional approach using a one-way ANOVA welch test and to find a correlation between serum IL-2 levels with PANSS score in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia which is conducted in Prof. Dr. M. Ildrem Psychiatric Hospital Medan and Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan from September 2019-November 2019. Subjects of untreated were 55 subjects and treated in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia were 55 subjects and healthy control were 55 subjects. There were significant differences between these three groups using post hoc Games-Howell test on the value of p<0.001 and also been found there was a significant correlation between serum IL-2 levels with PANSS score in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia using the Pearson correlation test (r=0.599, p=0.001 and r=0.501, p=0.001). It was founded that there were significant differences between serum IL-2 levels in three groups and also founded there was a significant correlation between serum IL-2 levels with PANSS score in the Batak tribe patients with schizophrenia. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldrin Musiun ◽  
Khamisah Awang Lukman ◽  
Mohammad Saffree Jeffree ◽  
Fredie Robinson ◽  
Mohd Rohaizat Hassan ◽  
...  

Stress is accepted as the accumulation of unpleasant state of physical, mental and emotion on a person. Medical education has been known as one of the most stressful academic curriculum.  Hence, medical students may subjected to multiple psychological changes and challenges throughout the years of medical education.  The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of stress and its associated factors among medical students. This cross sectional study was conducted from April to May 2018 in medical school in Sabah. It involved 396 medical students through universal sampling.  Self-administered questionnaires were used as an instrument for data collection. The questionnaires included were Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) and Medical Student Stressors Questionnaire (MSSQ). Bivariate analysis (Chi Square test, Fisher’s Exact Test, Independent T test and Man-Whitney U test) were used to analyse the association. The response rate was 90.2%. The prevalence of stress among medical students were 33.3%.  Significant associated factors include financial support inadequacy (p=0.010) and all categories of medical student stressors. The mean score of the academic related stressors was found to be at 2.117 (±0.758) which was the highest mean score among medical student stressors assessed by MSSQ. The result of this study can be used as a basis for implementation of preventive measures such as provision of comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health care services in university-based settings.


Author(s):  
Shaikh Arshiya Kaiser Husain ◽  
Anwaya R. Magare ◽  
Purushottam A. Giri ◽  
Vijaykumar S. Jadhav

Background: The aim of medical education is to produce competent, physically and mentally strong health professionals, as they are going to be the pillars of the future health care system. Stress is one of the most common and process-oriented obstacles in medical education. It often exerts a negative effect on the academic performance, physical health, and psychological well-being of the students. Dealing with overloaded medical curriculum, competing with peers, being away from home and meeting high expectations imposed by parents and society to excel is among the common stressful transitions at this stage.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out amongst 352 undergraduate medical students of a private medical college in a rural area of Maharashtra during April to October 2019. The structured questionnaire was used to record the data. Collected data was used to assess the severity of mental health issues among medical students.Results: Majority 194 (55.11%) students were in the age of 18 to 20 years followed by 141 (40.06%) were in 21 to 23 years. There were 196 (55.68%) girl students and 156 (44.32%) boys. According to the various categories, 80 (22.73%) of the students had low stress scores, followed by 76 (21.59%) in minimal. A highly significant difference in stress scores was seen between boys and girls, which was more in boys.Conclusions: Study concluded that undergraduate medical students perceive minimal to very high stress presented as various systems that vary with the year of study and gender wise too. There is a further need to look into the various causes of stress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-12
Author(s):  
Ameer Hamza Mahmood-ul-Hassan ◽  
Abdul Sannan ◽  
Nehala Nooz ◽  
Ansa Ramay ◽  
Muhammad Huzaifa ◽  
...  

Background: The world is facing COVID-19 pandemic and almost 70% of the world had gone under Lockdown. People are facing stress, insomnia and anxiety. The lack of basic awareness and spread of fake news are common causes of all these issues. This study was done to determine the prevalence of insomnia and anxiety in medical and non-medical students. Subjects and methods: Subjects were approached through friends in universities using WhatsApp. People having insomnia and anxiety before quarantine were excluded from this study. People using anti-depressants and anti-psychotics before quarantine were also excluded from this study. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 965 students of medical and non-medical universities in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Consent was taken for using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Insomnia Severity Index for scoring of anxiety and insomnia respectively. An online questionnaire made in Google forms was used for data collection. Independent t-tests, Pearson Correlation and Regression analysis were performed using SPSS v25. Results: Increased prevalence of anxiety and insomnia in non-medical students as compared to the medical students was observed. There was statistically significant strong correlation between anxiety and insomnia of the enrolled subjects (r=0.742, p<0.001). A linear regression equation was formulated. Increased prevalence of anxiety and insomnia in females was also determined. Conclusion: Non-medical students, compared to medical students, among which, females, compared to males, were more likely to suffer from anxiety and insomnia during lockdown.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bibhusan Basnet ◽  
M Jaiswal ◽  
B Adhikari ◽  
PM Shyangwa

Background  Psychological stress is common in medical school and associated with depression. Medical education is grooming in Nepal, but only few studies are done concerning mental health of medical students. Objective  To assess the prevalence of depression among medical students at different levels of education and find about their stressors. Methods  A cross sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among the undergraduate medical students of B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal. 50 students each from Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) first and third year were enrolled in the study conducted between November 2008 to January2009. The depression levels were assessed using Zung depression scale. Students were asked to complete the questionnaire and then the depression levels calculated .The stress inducing factors during their course of medical education were also assessed. Results  The overall prevalence of depression among the students was 29.78 percent. The prevalence of depression in first and third year was 36.74and 22.22 percent respectively. The prevalence of depression was 32.43 percent among female students versus 28.07 percent in male students. Both first and third year students gave high ratings to academic stress and hectic lifestyle as the main stress inducing factors. Conclusion  The prevalence of depression is seen especially in the first year medical students. So, attempts should be made to alleviate the stressors right from the time they join medical school. Since academic stress proved to be one of the major factors, measures to make the academic curriculum more student-friendly are suggested. Kathmandu University Medical Journal | VOL.10 | NO. 3 | ISSUE 39 | JUL- SEP 2012 | Page 56-59 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v10i3.8021


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