Levels of empathy in dentistry students: measurement and comparison in two academic periods. Universidad Católica de Cordoba (UCC) Argentina

Objective: the aim of the study was to measure empathy levels among UCC dentistry students in 2016 and to compare them with a previous record from 2012 in order to establish if it is possible to improve these levels by emphasizing their importance without any specific training. Material and Methods: the sample was formed by students from 1st to 5th year; 2016: 173 (79.36%) and 2012: 189 (84.75%). The sample was stratified by academic year and gender. A Spanish version for health science students of Jefferson’s Empathy Medical Scale was applied; the version is validated in Mexico and Chile, and culturally adapted by judges in Argentina. Results: in 2016, there was a difference between women and men in empathy in general (F=108.56, M= 98.859) and in their components, with the exception of “Putting yourself into other ́s shoes”. Both genders tended to decrease empathy in general and its components from 3rd year with a tendency to increase again in 5th year, with the exception of the last com- ponent. The difference in empathy in general between students of 5th year and 1st year was assessed in 29.8% of possible growth. The components studied were”Compassionate care” 18.99%, “Taking perspective” 36.84% and “Putting yourself into other ́s shoes” 6.71%. In the 2012-2016 comparison, the questions that presented significant differences were number 3, 5, 10, 16, 17 and 18. Conclusions: an empathy diagnosis is provided that will help in the elaboration of strate- gies to incorporate the acquisition of this aptitude into the curriculum of this University ́s School of Dentistry