Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Evaluation of the development of empathic and affective skills in Future Physicians

One of the current challenges of medical education is the problem of integration of curricular content and educational experiences focused on the development of affective skills. The literature indicates a gradual decline of idealism and humanism on the part of the student throughout the course, as well as evidence of erosion of the medical curricula. This qualitative and exploratory study aims to assess the development of affective and empathic skills of medicine students, at the School of Health Sciences (ESCS), through the analysis of thirty-nine narratives produced by second and third year students in 2010. The content analysis was based on Qualitative Epistemology, from which three categories were established: the initiation ritual of students, their experiences and difficulties; their emotional experiences during medical training; and the pedagogical benefits of narrative medicine and the challenges of developing empathy. The 2nd year seemed to represent an adaptation phase to the hospital setting for the students, in view of the need to externalize their own conflicts and emotional barriers. In the 3rd year, there was a better development of empathic abilities, as they grasped a more comprehensive view of the condition of patients and their dramas. We conclude that narrative medicine has been an effective approach for the learning of empathy and emotional competence in medical students, and a valid instrument for assessing empathic and humanistic skills in our context. The gradual adherence of students legitimizes and strengthens narrative medicine in our curriculum, revaluing medical training in their intersubjective practices. However, this study points to the need for further research using mixed methods in order to gain a better understanding of the long-term impact of this approach.

Empathy; Narration; Medical Education


Associação Brasileira de Educação Médica SCN - QD 02 - BL D - Torre A - Salas 1021 e 1023 | Asa Norte, Brasília | DF | CEP: 70712-903, Tel: (61) 3024-9978 / 3024-8013, Fax: +55 21 2260-6662 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: rbem.abem@gmail.com