Training Medical Students in Empathic Communication

Empathy is an important component of the doctor-patient relationship, yet previous studies point to its steady decline in medical students as they progress through medical school and residency programs. Empathy training has thus been identified as a goal of instruction, yet it is unclear how this training can best be implemented within the medical curriculum. This article describes the content of an exploratory empathy training program for 2 groups of 3rd-year medical students, and discusses changes made between the groups to enhance training outcomes. Preliminary results, important considerations for group process, group member characteristics, and future interventions are presented.