Medical students’ experiences of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at a UK medical school 

Background Gender discrimination (GD) and sexual harassment (SH) continue to be significant issues within Medicine and Medical Education globally. This study examined student experiences of GD and SH at a UK medical school, as well as exploring student perspectives around interventions that might be helpful in reducing GD and SH and supporting students. Method An anonymous online self-report questionnaire was developed and distributed to participants who were recruited via social media, medical student societies, student learning platforms and teaching sessions. Participants were undergraduate medical students at a single UK medical school. Data were collected about students’ experiences of SH and GD during medical school, the impact of such experiences, reporting of these experiences and student perspectives around what medical schools could do to reduce rates of SH and GD and support students effectively. Results Of the 43 students who completed the questionnaire, 12 students (28%) reported experiencing SH whilst at medical school, of which 42% felt that this had significantly impacted their wellbeing. 19 students (44%) reported experiencing GD, of which 63% felt this impacted on their wellbeing. 2 of these 19 students reported their experience of GD to the medical school, with no students reporting their experiences of SH. 15 students (35%) reported having witnessed SH or GD during their time at medical school. Students felt that GD and SH were normalised and seen as societal issues, rather than issues within medical education. Students described how these these experiences impact negatively both on their wellbeing and their learning opportunities. Discussion SH and GD continue to be prevalent within undergraduate medical education, particularly among students who identify as female. Such experiences impact on student learning and wellbeing, however students are unlikely to report these experiences and often do not access support.