Experiences of belittlement and harassment and their correlates among medical students in the United States: longitudinal survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine medical students' perceptions of having been harassed or belittled and their correlates, for the purposes of reducing such abuses.


METHODS
Longitudinal survey.


METHODS
16 nationally representative US medical schools.


METHODS
2884 students from class of 2003.


METHODS
Experiences of harassment and belittlement at freshman orientation, at entry to wards, and in senior year by other students, by residents or fellows, by preclinical professors, by clinical professors or attendings, or by patients.


RESULTS
2316 students provided data (response rate 80.3%). Among seniors, 42% (581/1387) reported having experienced harassment and 84% (1166/1393) belittlement during medical school. These types of abuse were caused by other students (11% (158/1389) and 32% (443/1390) of students experienced such harassment or belittlement, respectively). Harassment and belittlement was also caused by residents (27% (374/1387) and 71% (993/1393)), preclinical professors (9% (131/1386) and 29% (398/1385)), clinical professors (21% (285/1386) and 63% (878/1390)), and patients (25% (352/1387) and 43% (592/1388)). Only 13% (181/1385) of students classified any of these experiences as severe. Medical students who reported having been harassed or belittled did not differ significantly from those not reporting such experiences by sex, ethnicity, political orientation, or religion. They did differ significantly by chosen specialty and were significantly more likely to be stressed, depressed, and suicidal, to drink alcohol or to binge drink, and to state that their faculty did not care about medical students. They were also significantly less likely to be glad they trained to become a doctor.


CONCLUSIONS
Most medical students in the United States report having been harassed or belittled during their training. Although few students characterised the harassment or belittlement as severe, poor mental health and low career satisfaction were significantly correlated with these experiences.
Frank
Erica
E
Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. erica.frank@ubc.ca
Carrera
Jennifer S
JS
Stratton
Terry
T
Bickel
Janet
J
Nora
Lois Margaret
LM
D000374:Aggression; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012919:Social Behavior; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States