THE IMPACT OF SIMULATED MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS ON THE EMPATHY LEVELS OF STUDENTS AT A MEDICAL SCHOOL

Abstract

Empathy is a fundamental competency in medical education, associated with better clinical outcomes and greater patient satisfaction. This study aimed to analyze the impact of simulated medical consultations on the empathy levels of medical students at a higher education institution in western Paraná, Brazil. This is a quantitative, pre-experimental before-and-after study conducted with volunteer students enrolled from the eighth semester onward. Participants attended three theoretical classes and three simulated consultations with a standardized patient, followed by structured debriefing. Empathy levels were measured with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy before and after the intervention, analyzed with paired t-test and Cohen's d. Of 10 enrolled students, 6 completed both assessments and formed the paired sample. A trend toward an increased median score, from 126 to 129 points, was observed, but without statistical significance (p=0.726) and with a small effect size (d=0.151), mainly attributed to the small sample size. It is concluded that there is a positive, statistically unconfirmed trend, and further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the effectiveness of simulated consultations in developing medical empathy.