Medical School Curriculum And The Level Of Compassion Of Portuguese Medical Students

Abstract Objectives To evaluate and to compare the levels of compassion of students throughout the Integrated Master’s in Medicine (MIM) in Portuguese Universities and relating them to University’s formal curriculum.Methods Cross sectional study of the levels of compassion of 1st, 3rd and 5th year students (3rd, 4th and 5th years in the University of XX) by electronically appliance of the Jefferson Scale of Medical Empathy (student version), between October and November 2018. Curricular plans of each University was searched on the institutional sites. The percentages of Credit Units (CU) and EUROPEAN CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM (ECTS) were calculated for the concept and/ or pillars of compassion. Adequate descriptive and inferential statistics were defined with difference definition for p <0.03.Results Mean levels of compassion are numerically far from their maximum value (49), being different between sexes p<0.001, year of attendance, p=0.022 and university, p=0.026). The percentage of CU related to the compassionate approach is significantly different between faculties (p <0.001), but the percentage of ECTS is not different (p = 0.031).Discussion This is the first comparative study between Portuguese medical schools. The reduction in the levels ​​of compassion of future physicians is a matter of concern for medicine schools.Conclusion There are differences in the levels of compassion among the students of the var universities according to the year attended. There are no differences between the percentage values ​​of ECTS, according to the institutional websites. The measured value is generally favourable to student´s Compassion. Differences between Universities deserves future studies.