A Study Exposes a Frightening Truth About American Medical Schools

Harassment is common, and directed at the most vulnerable students.

Close your eyes for a second and think about medical school. The popular conception of medical school is one of a grueling, but ultimately rewarding experience. Long hours in the library, punctuated by moments of excitement as hard-fought knowledge is finally applied to a real human.

For me, medical school was an exhilarating, if challenging, time. I was learning what I thought were the deepest secrets of the human body. I interacted with individuals at their most vulnerable moments and felt like I made a difference. And of course, I worked my ass off. That’s ok — no one ever said med school was supposed to be easy.

But for too many med students, med school is not simply a tough but rewarding four years, it is a gauntlet — an environment where around any corner there might be someone who will demean, belittle, or harass you. And, according to this study in JAMA Internal Medicine, the individuals running that gauntlet are disproportionately women, racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities.