Understanding empathy in medical education: A cross-sectional study of cognitive and affective dimensions among undergraduate students

ABSTRACT Background: Clinical empathy is putting oneself in the patient’s position and experiencing the patient’s emotions. However, during medical school, there might be a decline in empathy levels. Aim: The aims of this study were to assess the level of cognitive and affective empathy across various MBBS batch students and to determine the factors that influence empathy. Methodology: This cross-sectional study involved 106 medical students, with empathy assessed using the affective and cognitive empathy subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results: Among the 106 respondents, most (36.34%) were in their 2 nd year, with 51.9% aged 21–23, 68.9% female, and 51.9% residing in urban areas. Overall empathy scores were highest in the 1 st year, declining in the 2 nd and 3 rd years, then increasing in the final year and during the compulsory rotating medical internship period. The Personal Distress domain of affective empathy was significantly notable. Chi-square analysis indicated that age (P = 0.008), year of study ( P = 0.025), gender ( P = 0.005), and stressful situations ( P = 0.046) significantly influenced empathy scores. Conclusions: This study found that empathy is positively associated with female gender and older age, but negatively correlated with stress levels. Enhancing medical students’ empathy may require effective stress management and improved social support. These findings underscore the need for curriculum reforms in medical education.