Sexual harassment from patient to medical student: a cross-sectional survey

Background There is little existing research investigating SH/SA specifically from patients to students. This study aims to assess the prevalence and impact of SH and SA from patient to medical student. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was administered via electronic email list to all current medical students at the University of Washington School of Medicine ( n = 1183) over a two-week period in 2019. The survey questions addressed respondents’ experiences with SH/SA from patients, frequency of reporting, and impact on feelings of burnout. Results Three hundred eleven responses were received for a response rate of 26%; 268 complete responses were included in the final analysis. Overall, 56% of respondents reported ever experiencing SH from a patient. SH from a patient was reported by significantly more of those who identify as female compared to male (66% vs 31%; p < .001). Similar frequency of experiencing SH within the last year were reported by females and males (90% vs 88%; p = .96). Clinical students were more likely to have ever experienced SH compared to preclinical students (61% vs 39%; p < .001). The majority (86%) of respondents who experienced SH/SA did not report it in an official capacity. Those who identify as female were more likely to report that SH from a patient contributed to feelings of burnout (21% vs 5% for male; p = .02). Behaviors consistent with SA were experienced by 16% of respondents, with similar frequency between females and males. Conclusions This study demonstrates that patient to medical student SH/SA is a common occurrence, particularly among students identifying as female. It also highlights the significant impact of SH/SA incidents on feelings of burnout.