Empathy in osteopathic medical students: a cross-sectional analysis.
BACKGROUND
Empathy is fundamental to patient care. Research studies of allopathic medical students have found a statistically significant decrease in empathy levels by the third year. Levels of empathy in osteopathic medical students have not been evaluated to determine whether a similar decline occurs in this group.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there were differences according to year of schooling in mean levels of empathy among osteopathic medical students, as assessed with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version (JSPE-S), and, secondarily, to compare these measures of empathy in osteopathic medical students with those reported elsewhere for allopathic medical students.


METHODS
The JSPE-S was distributed to students during regularly scheduled classes at the end of the academic year at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford. Responses were anonymous. Data were analyzed by year in osteopathic medical school, sex, planned specialty, and ethnicity. Scores were compared with those of allopathic medical students reported elsewhere.


RESULTS
Of the 415 respondents, 405 (98%) returned questionnaires with complete information, including 187 men (46%) and 218 women (54%). Of these respondents, 208 (51%) were white, 124 (31%) were Asian, and 73 (18%) were of another ethnicity. There were no statistically significant differences by year of schooling in respondents' sex, ethnicity, or specialty orientation and no statistically significant differences by year of schooling in the mean JSPE-S scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of empathy in osteopathic medical students were not found to decrease significantly by year of schooling, as reported in other studies for allopathic medical students. However, mean JSPE-S scores for first- and second-year osteopathic medical students were lower than those for first- and second-year allopathic medical students.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine, One Medical Center Dr, Stratford, NJ 08084-1500, USA. kimmelman24@verizon.net
Marilyn
M
Kimmelman
Jackie
J
Giacobbe
Justin
J
Faden
Geetha
G
Kumar
Charlyene C
CC
Pinckney
Robert
R
Steer
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D005791:Patient Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult