title: Mistreatment in an academic setting and medical students' perceptions about their course in São Paulo, Brazil: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High prevalence of mistreatment among medical students has been described in the worldwide literature since the 1980s. However, studies addressing the severity and recurrence of victimization and its effects on students' perceptions of their medical course are scarce. This study had the aim of estimating the prevalence of exposure to mistreatment that was considered to be severe and recurrent and its association with medical students' perceptions about their medical course.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical school in São Paulo, Brazil. Three hundred and seventeen students from the first to the sixth year answered the online questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High prevalence of mistreatment during the course was found. Two thirds of the students considered the episodes to be severe, and around one third reported experiencing recurrent victimization. Occurences of mistreatment that the students considered to be severe were correlated with feeling overloaded and wanting to abandon the medical course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occurrences of mistreatment within the academic environment are frequent in Brazil. The results suggest that mistreatment that was considered to be severe might negatively affect students' perceptions about their course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Tourinho
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Babler
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Naomy Lacerda
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Arakaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Irene Yamamoto do Vale
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Quaresma
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Abraão Deyvid Alves de Lima
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa Tenório Correia da
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eluf-Neto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012919:Social Behavior; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D055815:Young Adult