Enhancing empathy among medical students via reflective writing
Muhammad Jawad Hashima✉, Moien AB Khana b c d e f, Alexander Kieua g, Fatima Mohammed Khalfan Alkaabib, Fakhra Khalifa Abdulla Al Rubaeib, Maitha Musabbeh Khamis Alfazarib c d e f, Meera Alneyadib c d e f, Rouda Hamad Saeed Alsaedib c d e f, Romona Devi Govendera
- aDepartment of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain
- bCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain
- cCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- dRevue canadienne de l'éducation médicale
- eUniversité Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal
- fof the Université de Montréal
- gDepartment of Family Medicine, Kanad Hospital, Al Ain
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Reflection is a skill which has the potential to enhance higher order thinking such as empathy and compassion. We aimed to study reflective writing as a means to nurture empathy among medical students. An interventional study was conducted among 73 final-year medical students using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered anonymously before and after a clinical clerkship. Reflective writing generated strong emotional responses but did not improve Empathy Questionnaire scores. Reflective writing about patient care experiences may be useful in clinical clerkships to develop certain constructs of empathy such as perspective taking and compassion among medical students, but it may not raise empathy scores in the short term.
TL;DRReflective writing about patient care experiences may be useful in clinical clerkships to develop certain constructs of empathy such as perspective taking and compassion among medical students, but it may not raise empathy scores in the short term. (Semantic Scholar)