ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is a strong association between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic performance in medical students. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between EI and academic performance among medical students at Tabuk University. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in clinical years in the Faculty of Medicine, Tabuk University, Tabuk City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Each study participant received a self-administered questionnaire composed of two parts: demographic data and the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). RESULTS: The present study included 203 of the clinical-phase medical students. The academic achievement level was not associated with the students' gender (p = 0.194) or academic level (p = 0.278). Female students had a significantly higher total SSEIT score than male students (p < 0.001). The sixth-year students had a significantly higher perception of emotion than the fourth-year students (p = 0.029). Students with excellent academic achievement had higher mean scores for managing others' emotions (p = 0.004) and utilization of emotion compared to those with fair and very good levels (p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Some components of EI correlate with academic performance, gender, and academic level. Further research should be launched to assess the correlation between EI and academic performance among all medical students in all regions of KSA. Students can benefit by attending workshops and courses in universities to develop the students' EI because of its impact on their academic performance.