Effect of gender, age, and relevant course work on attitudes toward empathy, patient spirituality, and physician wellness.
BACKGROUND
The emphasis in medical education on viewing the patient as a whole person addresses current concerns about the negative impact of standard physician training that may lead to impaired patient-physician relationships.


OBJECTIVE
To assess self-ratings of empathy, spirituality, wellness, and tolerance in a sample of medical students and practitioners to explore differences by gender, age, and training.


METHODS
A survey was created that assesses empathy, spirituality, wellness, and tolerance in the medical setting. Surveys were completed anonymously by medical students and practitioners from the medical school.


RESULTS
The youngest groups scored highest on empathy and wellness and lowest on tolerance. Participation in medical school wellness sessions correlated with higher empathy and wellness scores; participation in both empathy and spirituality sessions correlated with higher empathy scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to educational activities in empathy, philosophical values and meaning, and wellness during medical school may increase empathy and wellness in medical practice.
Lisabeth F
LF
DiLalla
Sharon K
SK
Hull
J Kevin
JK
Dorsey
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012737:Sex Factors; D029181:Spirituality; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires