Emotional intelligence assessment in undergraduate medical students: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) includes the ability to understand and control emotions, to be social, and to be empathetic. It comprises four core skills that pair up under two primary competencies: personal and social competence. Aim: To assess EI in undergraduate medical students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken on undergraduate students of a medical college. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling. After obtaining informed consent, they were assessed with a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test. Information obtained was analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: The study included 226 medical undergraduates from first to final year, comprising 140 females and 86 males. In this study, the mean EI score for males was 82.66, whereas for females it was 105.64. The difference was highly significant ( P < 0.002). A significant association was found between the EI score and the age of the students ( P < 0.002) and female gender ( P < 0.001). EI score was positively correlated with gender and domicile. There was a significant increase in EI scores from the first to the second year, followed by a significant reduction in EI scores from the second to the third year. No significant difference in EI scores was observed between the third and fourth years. Conclusion: This study concludes that female undergraduate medical students have significantly higher EI than males. Despite its importance, EI is often not taught in medical education, leaving students unprepared for emotional challenges. Developing emotional competence is crucial for effective medical training and practice.