Medical Student Abuse—An Obstetrics and Gynecology Perspective

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate medical student mistreatment in obstetrics and gynecology rotations as perceived by physicians and medical students using standardized video-taped vignettes. BACKGROUND: Medical student mistreatment is pervasive and typically occurs during the third year of medical school. While most events are minor, the ramifications for the mistreated medical student are real and include increased risk of anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidal ideation, burnout, avoidance of the specialty where the mistreatment occurred and leaving medicine entirely. METHODS: Three video vignettes were filmed portraying possible medical student abuse in obstetrics/gynecology clinical settings. Attending physicians, resident physicians and rotating medical students were asked about their personal experience with mistreatment and then asked to view the three videos. After each video, participants were asked if they believed the vignette represented medical student mistreatment and to rate the level of severity. RESULTS: Eight attending physicians, ten resident physicians and ten medical students participated in this study. Fourteen participants (50%) reported previous mistreatment as a student, all of which occurred during third year of medical school. Neither previously mistreated participants, women participants nor ethnic minority participants were not more likely to view the scenarios as abuse or rate the scenarios as more severe. Medical students were not more likely to view the vignettes as mistreatment or more severe as compared to resident and attending physicians. DISCUSSION: In our small pilot study, medical students, resident physicians and attending physicians generally agreed which video vignettes represented medical student mistreatment and the level of severity of the abuse.