Background: Medical students are exposed to numerous internal and external pressures exerted by the environment which may affect their empathy towards patients. This study was conducted to find association between perceived stress and empathy. Methodology: The study was conducted in Surat, Gujarat, India from August 15 2021 to September 15 2021 among 225 participants using perceived stress score and using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. Two groups -Undergraduate medical students and general population were compared. Results: Out of 160 medical undergraduates and 65 people from general population below average empathy was noted in total 51.1%. High empathic attitude was noted in general population in comparison to other medical undergraduates. 24.4% reported low stress, 64% moderate stress and 11.6% high stress and we can appreciate that low stress scores were calculated in general population in comparison to medical undergraduate students. A weak negative correlation between empathy and perceived stress was calculated in medical students whereas strong positive correlation between empathy and perceived stress was calculated in general population. Conclusion: A significant proportion of medical students had a comparatively higher stress scores and decreased empathy hence their stress is considered distress whereas general population’s high stress scores were corelating to high empathic attitude, therefore their stress can be considered eustress.

Background: An altered composition and increased flare intensity of the aqueous humor caused by a breakdown of the blood aqueous barrier in eyes having PEX syndrome which cause corneal endothelial changes. Aims: To evaluate changes in the corneal endothelial morphology in patients with pseudo exfoliation (PEX) syndrome. Setting and Design: Tertiary care center of ophthalmology, Ahmedabad, India. Materials and Methods: Study included 220 eyes in a tertiary referral care center. In this group of patients there were 110 eyes with PEX syndrome and 110 eyes normal without PEX syndrome. Endothelial cell density, Corneal thickness and Hexagonality of cells were measured in each eye by specular microscopy and were compared between two groups. Results: The endothelial cell density in eyes with pseudo exfoliation was 2212.60 ± 312.34 cells/mm2 & in controls 2588.06 ± 286.54cells/mm2. The average cell size of cases was 492.40 ± 72.12 mm2 and of controls was 426.44 ± 73.40 mm2 (p<0.05). Hexagonality of corneal cells in the cases varied from 11 % to 90 % with a mean of 48.35 %. The controls had a mean of 62.02 % (p<0.05). There was a statistical difference in the cell density, cell size and hexagonality of the two groups Conclusion: Our study showed that in Pseudo exfoliation syndrome, endothelial cell density and the percentage of hexagonal cells are reduced. However, average cell size was increased. Therefore, ophthalmologists must be careful in conducting cataract surgery, use of high viscosity viscoelastics.