The Clinical Empathy of Intern and Resident Doctors at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech

Empathy plays a crucial role in the doctor-patient relationship and occupies a fundamental role in the training of interns and residents. This work aimed to assess the empathy of interns and residents using the Jefferson Scale, in order to highlight the factors influencing this empathy and its evolution. To achieve this aim, we conducted a study among interns and residents of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, administering an anonymous questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and the Jefferson Scale. We received 300 valid responses. Our sample consisted of 72% residents and 28% interns, with an average age of 28.81 ± 3.2 years and an average total Jefferson score of 84.98 ± 22.77. In our study, empathy was associated with age, marital and professional status, service or specialty type, number of shifts, family history of chronic illnesses, and personal chronic illness. However, empathy decreased as individuals transitioned from intern to resident status. Finally, we addressed the question of whether empathy is acquired or innate and whether it can be improved or taught.