Exploring Medical Students’ Perceptions of Empathy Training in The Indian Attitude, Ethics, and Communication Curriculum: An Exploratory Qualitative Descriptive Survey
Shruti Singh, S Kirubakaran, Prashant Kumar Singh, Riya Ranjith Vaidyar, Kye Mon Min Swe, Punit Patel, Dheerendra Kumar MishraAbstract
Background:
Empathy is widely recognized as a core component of patient-centered care and an important professional competency for medical graduates. In India, the attitude, ethics, and communication (AETCOM) module was introduced within the competency-based MBBS curriculum to foster empathy, communication skills, and professionalism. However, limited qualitative evidence exists regarding students’ experiences of empathy-focused teaching within this curriculum. This study explored medical students’ perceptions and experiences of empathy-focused AETCOM sessions and their views regarding the teachability of empathy.
Methods:
An exploratory qualitative descriptive survey was conducted among second-year MBBS students at a tertiary-care medical institute in June 2025. An anonymous online survey containing a single open-ended question—”What are your perceptions and experiences regarding the AETCOM classes focused on empathy?”—was administered following informed consent. Seventy-five students submitted written responses. Responses were reviewed independently by two researchers and organized into descriptive categories representing common patterns in participants’ experiences and perceptions.
Results:
Four broad categories were identified. Students generally perceived role-plays, simulations, patient narratives, and faculty experiences as valuable learning approaches. Participants described increased awareness of active listening, patient-centered communication, and patients’ emotional concerns. Suggested improvements included greater use of interactive and practice-oriented teaching methods, shorter sessions, and incorporation of emotional resilience and self-care training. A small minority of students expressed reservations regarding the impact of empathy teaching and viewed empathy primarily as an innate personal attribute.
Conclusion:
Students generally viewed empathy-focused AETCOM sessions positively, particularly when delivered through interactive and experiential approaches. The findings suggest that learner feedback may help inform the ongoing refinement of empathy-focused teaching within undergraduate medical education.