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May 1, 2018

Building on #MeToo to Enhance the Learning Environment for US Medical Schools

Author Affiliations
  • 1Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
JAMA. 2018;319(17):1759-1760. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3812

Surveys of graduating medical students in the United States annually document intimidation and harassment of student learners, often on the basis of sex, ethnicity, race, or gender identity, reflecting US culture as a whole but also the historical hierarchical, competitive culture of US medical schools. Of 14 405 US medical school doctor of medicine graduates in 2017 who answered the specific questions on the Association of American Medical Colleges 2017 graduate questionnaire, 39% reported personally experiencing sexist, racist, or other offensive comments or humiliation; lower grades; or denial of training or awards based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity.1 Reports of sexual harassment, one of a number of behaviors surveyed, have remained stable since 2013 and have not improved (Table).

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