Empathy Among Medical and Social Science Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Empathy is a fundamental competency in both medical and social science professions, yet its manifestation may vary across academic disciplines. This comparative study examined empathy levels among medical and social science students to understand disciplinary differences and implications for professional training. A cross-sectional survey of 240 students (120 medical, 120 social science) was conducted using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student Version (JSE-S). Results indicated that social science students (M = 112.45, SD = 11.23) demonstrated significantly higher empathy scores than medical students (M = 106.78, SD = 12.67), t = 3.64, p < .001. Female students exhibited higher empathy across both groups. Findings suggest that disciplinary culture, curriculum structure, and academic socialization influence empathy development. Implications for curriculum design and professional training are discussed.