Teacher empathy and academic performance in medical students: systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Empathy, defined as the ability to understand and share the emotions of others, is key in medical education, influencing both academic performance and the holistic development of students. There are two types: cognitive empathy, which allows understanding the perspective of others, and emotional empathy, which involves experiencing the emotions of another. The aim of this research is to analyze the available scientific evidence on the influence of faculty empathy on the academic performance of medical students. Methods: This work consists of an exploratory systematic review based on the identification of 25 relevant studies published between 2000 and 2024 in the scientific databases Google Scholar and PubMed. Results and Discussion: The results suggest that faculty empathy positively influences the learning environment and, consequently, academic performance; however, many educators lack training in interpersonal skills. The use of the Jefferson Scale is suggested as an instrument that could be useful for measuring faculty empathy in medical education contexts. Conclusions: Faculty empathy is fundamental in the training of medical students. Factors such as stress and lack of training in the field may limit faculty empathy, highlighting the need to apply effective instruments and interventions to assess and improve this skill in medical education.