Get Over It—Surgical Residents’ Responses to Simulated Harassment: A Multi-Method Study

• In Event: Breaking Barriers: Surviving and Thriving in Professions Education

Abstract

Harassment is unfortunately prevalent in surgical training environments, leading to dire consequences for trainees. This study assessed surgery residents' real-time bystander responses during an anti-harassment simulation. Twenty-eight residents participated in an educational simulation where they were asked to do a central line insertion. During the procedure they witnessed a senior resident (actor) verbally harassing a medical student (actor). Deductive thematic analysis showed that residents used various responses as the simulation progressed. Chi-square analyses also showed that residents used passive responses significantly more frequently than any other response throughout the simulation, especially following harassment. The findings provide valuable insights into the immediate passive reactions of surgery residents to harassment, highlighting the need for active anti-harassment training programs.

Authors

• Myriam Johnson, McGill University

• Keerat Kaur Grewal, McGill University

• Byunghoon Ahn, McGill University

• Negar Matin, McGill University

• Cassandra Dutil, McGill University

• Jean-Sébastien Pelletier, McGill University

• Liane Feldman, McGill University

• Gerald Fried, McGill University

• Jason Matthew Harley, McGill University