Minorities still mistreated in medical schools, study finds

Women, Asians, under-represented minorities, and students who are multiracial, as well as those who are gay, lesbian or bisexual were mistreated more often than classmates who are straight, white and male, the study found. Photo by Anh Nguyễn Duy/Pixabay

Race, gender and sexual orientation are tied to mistreatment of medical school students by faculty, physicians and fellow students, according to a new report.

For the study, Yale University researchers analyzed more than 27,500 surveys of students at 140 accredited medical schools in the United States.

The researchers found that women, Asians, under-represented minorities, and students who are multiracial, as well as those who are gay, lesbian or bisexual were mistreated more often than classmates who are straight, white and male.

"There is a lot of data showing that although medical schools are slowly becoming more diverse, they are still not yet inclusive," said study co-author Dr. Dowin Boatright, an assistant professor of emergency medicine.

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Public humiliation, denial of opportunities, offensive remarks or name-calling, and lower grades or evaluations were the most common forms of mistreatment, the findings showed.

Some of the study's key findings include:
About 41 percent of female students and 25 percent of male students said they were mistreated at least once.
Multiracial students reported higher rates of mistreatment than white students.
44 percent of students identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual reported at least one episode of mistreatment compared to 24 percent of straight students.

Lead author Katherine Hill, a second-year student at Yale School of Medicine, pointed out that women and people of color are under-represented in academic medicine.

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"They, along with lesbian, gay and bisexual physicians, all face discrimination in the workplace," she said in a Yale news release. "When you are denied opportunities based on racism or sexism, these can accumulate over the years and hinder careers or cause burnout."

The researchers said their findings suggest the need for better support for medical school students. Measures like anti-bias training for faculty, protections for students and policy transparency can safeguard vulnerable students, the study authors suggested.

"There's not enough focus on these issues," Hill noted. "Medical schools put almost all their attention on diversity of overall numbers; it's important to think about diversity in terms of the student experience."

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The study was published online Feb. 24, 2020 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

More information

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has more on discrimination.


MEDICAL SCHOOLS EXIST FOR ONE REASON AS GATEKEEPERS TO THE
PROFESSION.

ALL RESIDENT DOCTORS ARE TREATED AS SLAVES DURING THEIR YEAR OF RESIDENCY.  ANOTHER WAY TO BREAK DOWN STUDENT DOCTORS SO AS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF 'COMPETITORS' IN THE FIELD

GRADES AND SCHOOL DEMANDS ARE ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS TO KEEP OUT THE HOI POLLI AND ALLOW FOR A CLOSED PROFESSION TO ALLOW FOR THE PRIMITIVE ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL BY DOCTORS
TODAY WE COULD PUT OUT NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND GP'S IN FOUR YEARS AND WE SHOULD GET RID OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM AS IT NOW EXISTS

AND WE NEED TO REFORM CANADA MEDICARE TO ONLY FUND PROVINCIALLY MANDATED COMMUNITY MEDICAL CLINICS (ALL PURPOSE ONE STOP MEDICAL SERVICES AND SPA (EUROPEAN MEDICAL TRADITION)

SEE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE BEGAN IN ALBERTA

SEE PROLETARIAN DOCTORS

SEE PROLETARIAN DOCTORS REDUX NORMAN BETHUNE