Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Do Medical Students' Assessments Of A Patient's Pain Vary Significantly With Gender And Year Of Medical Training?, Catherine Phamduy

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Chronic pain is a common ailment among US adults and can lead to high cost of healthcare when not treated effectively. Unfortunately, studies show that characteristics of the patient population and physician may also influence their treatment of patient pain. Increased years of medical training is associated with a decline in empathy, which may be measurable by a decline in physician’s assessment of patient’s pain. Doctors with the least experience tend to underestimate their patient’s pain. However, very little is known about medical students’ assessment of patient-reported pain. The objective is to determine the significant differences in medical students’ perceptions …