Resumen
Background: Empathy is an important attribute, essential in the physician-patient relationship. It positively
contributes to the overall well-being and satisfaction of patients. Therefore, it is a quality that should be
cultivated in medical students. However, it is reported that instead of enhancing empathy, medical school
plays a part in its decline. Empathy, as a cognitive attribute is flexible to educational intervention. Therefore,
efforts made towards promoting and incorporating it into a curriculum could help preserve it. Objectives:
Determine if there is a difference in the mean score of Empathy in students of Universidad Francisco
Marroquín Medical School. Methods: We used the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) in its
student version, designed specifically for students in healthcare professions. It was administered to a total of
203 students from first, third, fourth and seventh year of UFM Medical School. Results: There is a significant
difference in the mean score of empathy between different academic years (Fb=13.35 p< 0.001.) There is a
significant increase in the mean score from first to third year, and then a progressive decline from third to
fourth, and fourth to seventh year of UFM Medical School. Conclusion: There are significant differences in
the mean score of empathy between academic years. To effectively conclude on the decline, prospective
studies must be conducted using this sample as a cohort and evaluating the changes through their progress in
medical school.
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Copyright (c) 2017 Saskia Bunge, Ricardo Blanco
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