PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical empathy of a cohort of medical students spanning 4 years of undergraduate study and to identify factors associated with empathy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study to assess the empathy of undergraduate medical students at the University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital in Delhi, India, was conducted using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Student Version. Demographic data were obtained using a pre-tested, semi-open-ended questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 600 students, 418 participated in the survey (69.7%). The mean empathy score was 96.01 (of a maximum of 140), with a standard deviation of 14.56. The empathy scores decreased from the first to the third semester, plateaued at the fifth semester, and rose again in the seventh semester. Empathy was found to be significantly associated with the gender of the participant, with females having higher scores (P<0.001). The age of the participant, place of residence, whose decision it was for the student to enroll in an MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery) program, and the choice of future specialty were not significantly associated with students' empathy scores. CONCLUSION: The study found significant gender differences in empathy among the participants. The empathy scores tended to decline initially and then rebound over time. The mean empathy levels found in this study are lower than those reported in most similar studies around the world; therefore, further studies are needed to analyze and address the underlying factors associated with this discrepancy.
Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Empathy* ; Female ; Humans ; India* ; Observational Study ; Students, Medical* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the local anesthetic effect of tramadol with that of lignocaine in the extraction of immobile (grade 0) maxillary first molars. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, equally balanced, controlled trial conducted on a sample population of 116 patients. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: group A (control) and group B (study).Group A and group B participants received 1.8 ml of 2% lignocaine without adrenaline and 1.8 ml of 5% tramadol, respectively through the supra-periosteal infiltration technique before extraction. Intraoperative pain was recorded on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and was evaluated using two unpaired t-tests. Results: Intraoperative pain was evaluated in both the control and study groups. In the control group, the mean VAS score was 0.71 ± 0.81, while in the study group, the mean intraoperative VAS score was 1.21 ± 0.86, with the difference between the two mean values being statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusion Tramadol has a less potent local anesthetic effect than lignocaine. As a higher dose of tramadol is required to obtain the desired anesthetic effect, it should be used as a supplement to lignocaine in extensive surgical procedures. It can also be used in patients allergic to lignocaine.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the local anesthetic effect of tramadol with that of lignocaine in the extraction of immobile (grade 0) maxillary first molars. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, equally balanced, controlled trial conducted on a sample population of 116 patients. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: group A (control) and group B (study).Group A and group B participants received 1.8 ml of 2% lignocaine without adrenaline and 1.8 ml of 5% tramadol, respectively through the supra-periosteal infiltration technique before extraction. Intraoperative pain was recorded on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and was evaluated using two unpaired t-tests. Results: Intraoperative pain was evaluated in both the control and study groups. In the control group, the mean VAS score was 0.71 ± 0.81, while in the study group, the mean intraoperative VAS score was 1.21 ± 0.86, with the difference between the two mean values being statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusion Tramadol has a less potent local anesthetic effect than lignocaine. As a higher dose of tramadol is required to obtain the desired anesthetic effect, it should be used as a supplement to lignocaine in extensive surgical procedures. It can also be used in patients allergic to lignocaine.