• Katarzyna Turczyńska, Alicja Ksiezoplska-Kaczorowska, Marek Hebanowski, and Wanda Komorowska-Szczepańska.
• Katedra Medycyny Rodzinnej Akademii Medycznej w Gdańsku.
• Pol. Merkur. Lekarski. 2003 Mar 1; 14 (81): 243-7.

AbstractThe article presents an evaluation of empathy level and motives of choosing medical studies as possible predictors of future physicians' career performance. The data for the study was collected based on biographical-environmental charts from the School of Medicine in Gdańsk and questionnaire forms completed by sixth-year students of the faculty of medicine in 1998-1999. The admission test scores and grades obtained during the studies were correlated to the level of empathy and motives of choosing medical studies among the candidates. The correlation between empathy and motives was also checked. "It has always been my dream" and "The possibility of helping the suffering" were found as the most important motives. Only in case of the above motives the correlation with the level of empathy was confirmed. The motives expressed as "Getting the best marks in biology, chemistry and physics at school" and "Getting the job of high social prestige" were significantly correlated with the grades during the first two years of studies. The present admission test seems to be good enough to predict the future students' performance. But it also seems that tools are lacking identifying who wold become a good doctor in future.

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