Qualitative and quantitative effects of promoting altruism during the foundation course in Phase-1 medical undergraduate students by assigning them a task of ‘Random Act of Kindness’

Background: Altruism, defined as an unselfish concern for the welfare of others, is a fundamental pillar of medical professionalism, emphasized during the Phase-1 MBBS foundation course. The study aimed to assess the understanding of altruism among Phase-1 students, assessing their ability to perform a ‘Random Act of Kindness,’ with qualitative reflections and quantitative analysis of altruistic behavior. Methods: Following ethics approval, a quasi-observational study was conducted. After an interactive lecture on altruism, students were encouraged to perform a ‘Random Act of Kindness’ over two weeks. Participation was voluntary, with written informed consent obtained from all participants. Students reflected on their acts in Google Forms, and a pre-validated questionnaire, adapted from the Altruistic Personality Scale, was administered before the lecture to assess baseline altruistic tendencies using a Likert scale. Results: Before the lecture - 25.6% of the students strongly liked doing the ‘random acts of kindness.’ After the lecture and completion of the activity, this figure rose to 49.6%. Most students performed simple altruistic acts or acts of charity. Reflective writing revealed that students felt ‘happy’ and ‘grateful’ after completing their acts of kindness. Conclusion: While many students initially engaged in altruistic behavior due to parental influence, incorporating ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ into the foundation course of the CBME curriculum appears to effectively enhance altruistic tendencies in first-year medical students, thereby fostering the core values of medical professionalism.