Background: Empathy is one of the crucial personality traits for all medical professionals, including physicians. The importance of empathy in doctor-patient relationship cannot be overestimated, as it is beneficial for both sides. Regrettably, there is evidence for the decline in this trait over the course of medical studies.
Subjects and methods: The participants were 509 voluntary respondents: medical school candidates (16.1%), medical students (65%), medical trainees (9.8%), residents (6.3%) and specialists (2.8%). The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was administered to them, which is a self-report tool measuring empathy.
Results: Gender difference in the IRI score was especially prominent - the mean score for female respondents was 59.83 points, while in men it was 51.16 point (p<0.001). The level of empathy did not differ significantly in the sub-groups divided with regards to the stage of their medical career. However, the total IRI score in women was the highest in the group of doctors, while in post-graduated males it was the lowest. Age of the respondents correlated positively with the perspective taking sub-scale and negatively with the fantasy and personal distress sub-scales.
Conclusions: Empathy is a trait that is rarely being enhanced in medical students during their education. While empathy is crucial for the development of a satisfactory doctor-patient relationship, there is an urgent need to adopt educational programs aimed at reinforcing empathy in medical students.