Belittlement and harassment of medical students

Editor—From the moment a medical student wanders out of the cosy lecture theatre and is unleashed into the hospital, the habitual embarrassment begins. Where would we be without the terrifying words “Student doctors? Don't all look down; why don't you report the x ray?” or “Surgical sieve? Ring any bells?”

The constant questioning does feel like harassment because that is what it is. Through this Socratic method of teaching, teachers are wearing us down, exhausting us until our thoughts are clarified and any faulty reasoning is exposed.¹ This forces us to think systematically and act practically like “real” doctors. Getting it wrong can make you feel belittled, but that is common in life. My friends belittle me when I get something wrong in a pub quiz. It is the exposure and loss of certainty that we equate with humiliation, although this can arise simply from feeling inadequate.

Unfortunately, as stated by Frank et al,² a minority of malicious doctors use teaching as a forum to humiliate, upset, and even torment medical students. Although bullying has no place in the NHS, my overriding concern is that current bad press could censor current Socratic teaching methods and prevent invaluable education on the ward and in clinics.

The spectrum of teachers may be wide, but this dynamic, interactive teaching method can be very effective when done well. So to the depressed and belittled medical student, bear in mind: what doesn't kill you may just stop you from killing the patient.