Sexual Harassment Continues to Plague Medical Education

Sexual harassment remains a major problem for women who choose careers in medicine, science or engineering according to a report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

The reason, the academies administers say, is because “the organizations’ policies have been more focused on symbolic compliance with the law and reducing liabilities instead of getting at the meat of the problem.”

“Even as more women enter science, engineering and biomedical fields and assume faculty or leadership positions, the evidence suggests that far too often women end up bullied out of career paths,” said Marcia McNutt, Ph.D., president of the National Academy of Sciences, at a press briefing.

A survey at the University of Texas found that 20% of female science students, more than 25% of engineering students and 40% of medical students had experienced sexual harassment from faculty or staff members. A similar survey at the Pennsylvania State University found 55% of its female medical students had experienced such harassment.

The report offers several steps that academic medical centers can follow to strengthen their response to sexual harassment and better protect the women working and studying in their facilities.

They are: Enact policies to prevent gender harassment. Be accountable and transparent. Foster diversity and inclusion. Change the dynamics between faculty and trainees and support women who have been victims of sexual harassment.

“I’m confident that if we take action we will see lasting, positive change for the entire research enterprise and, most importantly, for the women who are so essential to its success,” McNutt said.