title: Comparing a self-administered measure of empathy with observed behavior among medical students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies show that measures of physician and medical students' empathy decline with clinical training. Presently, there are limited data relating self-reported measures to observed behavior. This study explores a self-reported measure and observed empathy in medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students in the Class of 2009, at a university-based medical school, were surveyed at the end of their 2nd and 3rd year. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version (JSPE-S), a self-administered scale, and were evaluated for demonstrated empathic behavior during Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  97.6% and 98.1% of eligible students participated in their 2nd and 3rd year, respectively. The overall correlation between the JSPE-S and OSCE empathy scores was 0.22, p < 0.0001. Students had higher self-reported JSPE-S scores in their 2nd year compared to their 3rd year (118.63 vs. 116.08, p < 0.0001), but had lower observed empathy scores (3.96 vs. 4.15, p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Empathy measured by a self-administered scale decreased, whereas observed empathy increased among medical students with more medical training.
authors.affiliation: Section of General Internal Medicine, Evans Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02118, USA. daniel.chen@bmc.org
authors.forename: Daniel C R
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M Elaine
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pahilan
authors.forename: Jay D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Orlander
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*