Introduction:

The undergraduate medical course exposes students to a significant amount of stress, which can have negative consequences for learning, motivation and contact with patients. Lack of empathy in the doctor-patient relationship can hinder adherence and treatment results. Some techniques and practices of integrative medicine (mind and body) have been indicated as aiding the management and reduction of stress. These interventions that involve meditation practices, and which are already used in medical schools, can help in the development of empathy and in the vision of comprehensive care.

Objective:

Investigate the effect of the Stress Reduction and Empathy Development in Medicine Program (REDEMED©) on empathy levels in undergraduate medical students.

Method:

The program consisted of eight 2-hour sessions with practices involving meditation, yoga postures, and group activities aimed at improving interpersonal interactions. The intervention group consisted of 47 students and the control group 40 students. Empathy was evaluated before and after intervention using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - version for medical students (JSE-S).

Result:

Empathy level significantly increased in the group who received intervention compared to the control group (p: 0.000).

Conclusion:

Participation in the REDEMED© program showed an increase in empathy in undergraduate medical students.

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