The World Medical Association (WMA) Statement on Bullying and Harassment within the Profession[1] was adopted at the WMA’s 68th General Assembly.

Medical student mistreatment ranges from verbal harassment and public humiliation to threats of limiting future career opportunities. In a national survey conducted by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada in 2017, 59.6% of medical students in their final year reported being personally mistreated.[2] In 2016 the rate was 53%; in 2015 it was 50.6%.[3] Of students reporting mistreatment, 89.6% report mistreatment by faculty and 34.1% by residents.[3]

As evidenced in the WMA’s statement, mistreatment within the profession is also an issue internationally. Among US medical students, 42% reported having experienced harassment and 84% experienced belittlement during medical school.[4] These students were significantly more likely to be stressed, depressed, and suicidal; to drink alcohol or binge drink; and were significantly less likely to be glad they trained to become a doctor.[4]

Most Canadian medical students do not file a report when they experience instances of mistreatment. More than 80% of students who experienced mistreatment stated they had not reported it to their medical school or a designated faculty member.[3] Only 35.9% of students were satisfied with the outcome of having reported instances of mistreatment.[3]

Reasons cited by students for not reporting mistreatment included that “the incident did not seem important enough to report” (64.7%), “I did not think anything would be done about it” (47.1%), and “fear of reprisal” (35.3%).[3]