Student Mistreatment in Medical School and Planning a Career in Academic Medicine

• Published in: Teaching and learning in medicine Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 231 - 237
• Main Authors: Haviland, Mark G., Yamagata, Hisashi, Werner, Leonard S., Zhang, Kehua, Dial, Thomas H., Sonne, Janet L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01.07.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Aggression - psychology; Career Choice; Faculty, Medical; Female; Humans; Interprofessional Relations; Male; Regression Analysis; Schools, Medical; Students, Medical - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1040-1334; 1532-8015
• DOI: 10.1080/10401334.2011.586914

Background: Sudden mistreatment in medical school is a persistent problem with both known and unexplored consequences. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a perception of having been mistreated in medical school had an association with planning a full-time career in academic medicine. Method: Using Association of American Medical Colleges' 2000-2004 Medical School Graduation Questionnaire data, we evaluated the relationship between students' mistreatment experience and their career choice, academic versus nonacademic setting. Meta-analysis and regression were used to evaluate this relationship. Results: At medical schools where relatively high percentages of graduating seniors were planning academic careers, students reporting mistreatment experiences were less likely at graduation to be planning careers in academic medicine. Conclusion: A perception of having been mistreated in medical school is related to students' career choices, a finding that may be useful to medical school administrators/faculty and students as mistreatment is addressed in program planning, counseling, and faculty recruitment.