title: A survey-based study of emotional intelligence as it relates to gender and academic performance of medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the composite set of capabilities that enable a person to identify, assess, understand, and control emotions of oneself and others. This study was conducted to assess trait EI, to examine possible differences in the EI level of medical students in terms of gender, and to investigate the correlation between EI of medical students and their academic performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a cross-sectional survey consisting of a self-assessment questionnaire distributed to 200 undergraduate medical students after informed consent. Subjects responded on a five-point Likert scale. Data obtained were examined using descriptive frequencies, percentages, and correlations and analyzed with SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five percent of medical students had high EI. EI was significantly higher in females (72.27± 8.84) compared to males (67.47± 15.43) (P = 0.007). There was a positive correlation between EI and academic performance (r = 0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EI is a necessary component of medical students' skill sets to ensure that they are not only knowledgeable and academically competent in medical school but will also succeed in the future as quality healthcare professionals. There should be a balance between intelligence quotient and EI in students' learning processes to ensure success both personally and professionally. Students with good EI tend to be skilled at interpreting emotions; skills which, in turn, will add on to their performance in medical training and patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ashwini P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Aithal
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Prasaniya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gunasegeran
authors.affiliation: Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sivagamy M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.affiliation: Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Lim Zhen
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sujatha P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Prabhu
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires