Empathic Abilities of Internship Doctors of Various Profiles

Author`s Contribution:

Vasyl V. YECHALOV 1 A
Olga V. KRAVETS 1 A
Vladyslav A. SEDINKIN 1 A
A — Study design;
B — Data collection;
C — Statistical analysis;
D — Data interpretation;
E — Manuscript preparation;
F — Literature search;
G — Funds collection;
  • Dnipro State Medical University, Ukraine
Received: 26.05.2021Accepted: 22.06.2021Published: 29.06.2021
Background and aim of study
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the development of empathic abilities is one of the priorities of higher medical education. Understanding the great importance of the level of empathy and emotional intelligence for the future doctor has led to an increase in research interest in this issue both abroad and in Ukraine.
Research methods
84 internship doctors were interviewed anonymously in various specialties using the method of determining the level of empathic abilities according to Boyko and conducted a thorough analysis.
Results
A high level of empathy was found in 7.1% of respondents due to the vast majority of women. The average level of empathy was found in 66.7% of respondents, the gender distribution was 1:1. 21.4% of internship doctors showed low levels of empathy, of which two thirds were men. A low level of empathy was found in 4.8% of respondents, exclusively men. In our study, we found mostly the average level of empathic abilities in internship doctors of different profiles. Women were more empathetic than men. The results indicate the need to develop empathic abilities (intuitive, rational and emotional channels) with an emphasis on “managing their emotions” in undergraduate and postgraduate educational process in order to form communicative professional competencies during the study period.
Conclusion
The vast majority of internship doctors in various specialties showed an average level of empathic abilities, which meets the requirements of their further medical activities. There is no direct relationship between the level of empathic abilities and the frequency of emotional burnout. In a higher medical educational institution, it is necessary to develop and optimize empathic abilities starting from the first courses of study.
Keywords
empathy, emotional intelligence, higher medical education, postgraduate education, internship doctors.
Copyright
© 2021 Yechalov V. V., Kravets O. V., Sedinkin V. A.
DOI and UDC
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26697/ijes.2021.2.8 JEL: I11, I20, I23 UDC: 378:316.613.4:614.23/25
Information about the authors
Yechalov, V. V., Kravets, O. V., & Sedinkin, V. A. (2021).