[Distribution of empathetic orientation among dentistry students of Cartagena, Colombia].

Objective To describe the level of empathy of dental students at the University of Cartagena. Methods A descriptive, quantitative study on a sample of 360 students from 1st to 5th year of Dentistry at the University of Cartagena (Colombia) during the second academic period of 2012. The Spanish version for students (S version) of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) was administered to them. The analysis consisted of calculating descriptive statistics, the arithmetic mean, and standard deviation of all the factors and their corresponding levels. The comparison of means was performed through bifactorial analysis of variance model III, with first-order interaction and application of the Duncan multiple comparison test. Results Statistically significant differences were found for the "year" variables (p<0.005) and gender (p <0.001). Lower empathic orientation values were found for 1st year students and higher value were found for women. No significance was found in the interaction between these two factors (p>0.05). Conclusions Empathic orientation values in the dental students assessed were different depending on the level or year of study and the student's gender. This may influence the comprehensive training promoted by higher education institutions as part of their educational projects. It also provides an imperative for the promotion of interpersonal skills interpersonal skills among students starting in the first years of their training to help improve the quality of health care provided.