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Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867614026844864512 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Chhabra, Namrata |
| author2 | Archer, Elize |
| author_browse | Archer, Elize Chhabra, Namrata |
| author_facet | Archer, Elize Chhabra, Namrata |
| author_sort | Chhabra, Namrata |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109426 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:30.338Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109426 Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training Chhabra, Namrata Archer, Elize Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Health Professions Education. Medical education -- Philosophy Medicine -- Study and teaching Medical students -- Attitudes Medical students -- Training of UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH SUMMARY: BACKGROUND: Empathy is a crucial component of clinical practice and professionalism. Several medical institutes and professional organisations now encourage empathy in medical students. However, studies have reported that empathy erosion occurs during medical training and that medical students demonstrate a decrease in self-reported empathy during their studies. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy during their undergraduate training. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to generate illustrations of empathy development and decline that had educational significance and applicability. Individual online semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit experiential details from twelve final-year medical students. The interview recordings were transcribed verbatim, and data were analysed employing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method. RESULTS: Most of the students defined empathy as having four interrelated and overlapping dimensions: cognitive, affective, behavioural, and moral. They believed that empathising with patients was a bidirectional relational process. A notable finding of this study was that the empathic behaviour of medical students had improved over time in the medical school, contrary to the empathy decline reported by several researchers. They attributed their empathy development to real patient encounters, positive role-modelling by teachers, and attainment of confidence, personal maturity, and emotional regulation in their behaviours. Students identified exams, academic overload, time constraints, personal stresses, negative role models, unconducive learning environments, lack of formal empathy training, and emphasis on the biomedical aspect of the curriculum as barriers to the development of empathy. They recommended early clinical exposure, increased patient contact, formal empathy training, and introduction of medical humanities in the curriculum to improve their empathic behaviour with patients. CONCLUSION: Empathy is more than a personal attribute; this multifaceted, bidirectional relational process is affected by a multitude of factors. Medical institutes should identify and address the barriers to empathy development and encourage the holistic development of medical students. Medical educators should model their behaviour accurately for their increasing roles and responsibilities and support the students in their empathic expressions with patients. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Empatie is 'n belangrike komponent van kliniese praktyk en professionalisme. Verskeie mediese instansies en professionele organisasies moedig empatie in mediese studente aan. Tog het studies getoon dat empatie verminder tydens mediese opleiding en dat mediese studente 'n afname in selfverklaarde empatie tydens hulle studies toon. DOEL VAN DIE STUDIE: Die doel van die studie was om mediese studente se perspektiewe oor die ontwikkeling van empatie tydens hul voorgraadse opleiding te verken. METODOLOGIE: 'n Beskrywende, fenomenologiese benadering is gebruik om beskrywings te genereer van empatie-ontwikkeling en –afname wat opvoedkundig betekenisvol en toepaslik was. Individuele aanlyn semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer ten einde ervaringsbesonderhede by twaalf finalejaar mediese studente te verkry. Die onderhoudopnames is woordeliks getranskribeer en data is geanaliseer met behulp van Braun en Clarke (2006) se tematiese ontledingsmetode. BEVINDINGE: Die meeste van die studente het empatie gedefinieer as 'n konsep wat bestaan uit vier onderling verwante en oorvleuelende dimensies: kognitief, affektief, gedrag en moreel. Hulle glo dat die toon van empatie met pasiente 'n tweerigtingverhoudingsproses is. 'n Opvallende bevinding van hierdie studie was dat die empatiese gedrag van mediese studente oor tyd verbeter het by die mediese skool, wat teenstrydig is met die afname in empatie wat deur verskeie navorsers gerapporteer is. Studente skryf hulle empatie-ontwikkeling toe aan werklike pasient ontmoetings, positiewe rolmodellering deur dosente, en die ontwikkeling van selfvertroue, persoonlike volwassenheid en emosionele regulering van hul gedrag. Die studente het die volgende geidentifiseer as hindernisse in die ontwikkeling van empatie: eksamens, akademiese oorlading, tydsbeperkinge, persoonlike stres, negatiewe rolmodelle, nie-ideale leeromgewings, gebrek aan formele empatie-opleiding, asook klem op die biomediese aspek van die kurrikulum. Hulle beveel aan dat studente vroeg reeds kliniese blootstelling moet kry, meer kontak moet he met pasiente, formele empatie-opleiding moet ontvang, en ook die insluiting van mediese humaniora in die kurrikulum ten einde hulle empatiese gedrag teenoor pasiente te verbeter. GEVOLGTREKKING: Empatie is meer as 'n persoonlike eienskap; hierdie veelvlakkige, tweerigtingverhoudingsproses word beinvloed deur 'n menigte faktore. Mediese instellings behoort die hindernisse tot empatie-ontwikkeling te identifiseer en aan te spreek, en die holistiese ontwikkeling van mediese studente aan te moedig. Dosente aan mediese fakulteite behoort hulle gedrag noukeurig te modelleer vir hul toenemende rolle en verantwoordelikhede en die studente te ondersteun in hul empatiese uitdrukkings met pasiente. Masters 2020-11-12T13:50:40Z 2021-02-01T07:54:41Z 2020-11-12T13:50:40Z 2021-02-01T07:54:41Z 2020-11 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109426 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 101 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Medical education -- Philosophy Medicine -- Study and teaching Medical students -- Attitudes Medical students -- Training of UCTD Chhabra, Namrata Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title | Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title_full | Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title_fullStr | Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title_short | Medical students’ perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| title_sort | medical students perspectives on the development of empathy and its determinants during their undergraduate training |
| topic | Medical education -- Philosophy Medicine -- Study and teaching Medical students -- Attitudes Medical students -- Training of UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109426 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chhabranamrata medicalstudentsperspectivesonthedevelopmentofempathyanditsdeterminantsduringtheirundergraduatetraining |