In response to the ABC’s Four Corners recent airing of God Complex, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons issued a public statement concluding: “While the vast majority of surgeons are dedicated professionals who make a substantial contribution to patients and their communities, we recognise that unacceptable behaviour by a minority can have serious consequences for individuals and for trust in the profession”.
God Complex brought into sharp focus what the medical profession has been grappling with for a very long time. Hierarchical abuse is unlawful, harmful to patients, staff, students and the community — and a colossal waste of the health system’s scarce resources.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA), the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF), Medical Deans of medical schools, colleges, medical indemnity organisations, movements like A Better Culture and Civility Saves Lives, as well as many other dedicated clinicians (here, here, here, here, here) have relentlessly pushed for change and have implemented many worthwhile initiatives to eliminate unlawful bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination and racism in medicine. Despite this concerted effort, annual medical training surveys conducted by the Medical Board have documented intractable medical workplace abuse of doctors in training, mainly perpetrated by senior doctors over the last six years.
Source: Four Corners fallout: speak up about medical workplace abuse or be complicit | InSight+