LEARNINGS ON EMPATHY

Introduction and objectives: Encouraging patients to talk is a key part of being a medical professional. Empathy is a foundation to good practice, enhanced by practical learning opportunities. In 2015, a Brazilian medical student on an exchange in the UK became a standardised patient for the selection of new students for the Physician’s Associate course. The main objective was to observe communication skills of the candidates. In order to consolidate learning, reflective writing was used as it can improve empathy and communication skills (Chen and Forbes, 2014). Methods: In January 2015, one Brazilian medical student enrolled at a British University was given a structured role play as a teenager asking for a sick note for an exam because she spent a week with her boyfriend, and was now fearful of losing her scholarship and upsetting her parents due to a poor examination result. Results and discussion: The goal of this examination was to assess candidate’s ability to decline inappropriate requests, yet treat patients with respect. Most candidates laughed upon realization that the request was not due to a disease, representing a relevant issue to be addressed. One candidate empathized with the patient’s feelings and, while refusing the sick note, he elicited information about the patient’s mental health and considered a counselling referral. Watching how different students approached the task corroborated the Brazilian student’s knowledge in patient-centered care, and further highlighted the need for showing empathy through accurately reflecting emotional tone, and identifying patients’ needs within the boundaries of the profession.