Résumés
Abstract
Research has shown a decline in empathy as medical studies progress. Among various hypotheses, an explanation track evoked is the first contact with the internship.
Objectives This quasi-experimental study was designed to examine the impact of the first internship in medical students. Our research question was: “to what extent the first internship may decreased the empathy’s scores of our 3d year medical students?”
Methods We measured the empathy of 220 third year medical students before and after their first internship (3 weeks) in family medicine. Using online surveys methodology, we collected data about empathy (“Interpersonal Reactivity Index”: IRI), epidemiology, professional orientation choices.
Results Statistical analyses revealed a small but significant decrease in IRI’s “fantasy,” “empathic concern” and “personal distress” subscales.
Conclusion These results suggest a potential impact of the first internship on empathic skills. The fact that the students’ score for the “personal distress” subscale (which characterizes a difficulty in managing their emotions) decreases is actually a rather good thing. These data raise the question of the “function” of this loss of empathy. The fact that this score decreases after first internship, may indicate a positive change for these medical students: towards better emotional regulation and more functional affective empathy.
Keywords:
- empathy,
- medical students,
- internship,
- family medicine,
- dehumanization
Résumé
La recherche a identifié un déclin d’empathie à mesure que les études en médecine progressent. Parmi les différentes hypothèses, une explication souvent évoquée est le premier contact avec les stages. Cette étude quasi expérimentale a été conçue pour examiner l’impact du premier stage chez les étudiants en médecine. Notre question de recherche était : « dans quelle mesure le premier stage peut diminuer les scores d’empathie de nos étudiants en médecine de 3e année » ? Nous avons mesuré l’empathie de 220 étudiants de 3e année en médecine avant et après leur premier stage (de 3 semaines) en médecine générale. En utilisant la méthodologie des enquêtes en ligne, nous avons recueilli des données sociodémographiques, d’empathie (Interpersonal Reactivity Index [IRI]) et de souhait de choix de carrière. Les analyses statistiques ont révélé une diminution légère, mais significative des sous-échelles « fantaisie », « intérêt empathique » et « détresse personnelle » de l’IRI. Ces résultats suggèrent un impact potentiel du premier stage sur les compétences empathiques. Le fait que le score des étudiants à la sous-échelle « détresse personnelle » (qui caractérise une difficulté à gérer les émotions) diminue est en réalité plutôt une bonne chose. Ces données soulèvent donc la question de la « fonction » de cette perte d’empathie. Le fait que ce score diminue après le premier stage pourrait indiquer un changement positif pour ces étudiants en médecine : vers une meilleure régulation émotionnelle et une empathie affective plus fonctionnelle.
Mots-clés :
- empathie,
- étudiants en médecine,
- stage,
- médecine générale,
- déshumanisation
Parties annexes
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