Mistreatment of medical students in the third year may not be the problem

Abstract

Mistreatment and abuse of medical students has been recognized as a significant problem in medical schools. We believe, however, that the problem of mistreatment has been viewed incorrectly. This misperception of mistreatment exists in two primary ways. First, mistreatment has tended to be viewed as a “diagnosis” of unprofessionalism of the perpetrator when it may be more appropriately viewed as a symptom with a range of possible underlying causes. The second misconception that appears to be prevalent is the belief that the link between mistreatment and student well-being, distress, and falling empathy is clear. It is not. We present (1) evidence that other factors in the clinical learning environment may be having a greater negative impact on student mental health and well-being and (2) recommendations for changes that may produce enhancement to medical student mental health in the clerkship year.

Acknowledgements

This study was approved by the institutional review board of Saint Louis University.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Stuart J. Slavin, MD, MEd is Associate Dean for Curriculum and Professor of Pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. His recent work has focused on understanding and improving the mental health and well-being of medical students and residents.

John T. Chibnall, PhD, is Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is a research psychologist with special interest in psychosocial and mental health factors in education and chronic illness.