Empathy with Patients in the Medical Education Program of Iran; its Status and Training

Abstract

Empathy is a cognitive but not emotional trait that consists of understanding (and not sensing), experiences, concerns and views ofpatients and the capacity to share this understanding. Some medical educationists believe that clinical education may have a negative effect on medical students and residents'empathy and steps should be taken for teaching empathy to medical students.Our main aim in this studywas to assess the status of empathy in Iranian medical educationprogram and how it is taught within this program. In this regard, byinvestigating and studying this program, we found that although there are some brief references to empathy, no proper program has been suggested for reaching this goal. It seems that the medical students’ (and probably other healthcare personals) training programs should be revisedin order to develop implement empathy in Iran’s healthcare system.