[Ordinary sexism] Three testimonies on sexist behavior in medical school

For many years, interns have been alerting the authorities to denounce sexual harassment and sexism in medical studies and in particular in hospital internships. We questioned, on this pitiful phenomenon, a boy and two young girls in sixth year at the Faculty of Medicine of Tours. For the sake of protecting our sources, their first names have been changed.

Comments collected by Jean-Paul Briand

Maud: These figures reflect daily discussions. I am saddened and angry to have to read these rates, but grateful for the current work of these bodies to free the floor around all these inadmissible acts.

Aline: The figure of 68% is very important but not surprising. I think it is not specific to the medical world. It is the reflection of an abusive hierarchy, a lack of consideration and confidence in the work and competence of women by some men but also by some women.

Pierre: I am not surprised by these figures relating to this type of attack, even if I did not witness it directly. Many testimonies have reached me on sexist attitudes, especially verbal ones. They are often meandering, ambiguous or insidious words, which are not directly harmful. Despite the deep discomfort they cause, the person attacked thinks that it is not worth reporting them to any administration. When the sexist words are unequivocal, to oppose them frontally they require a conflictual relationship with his hierarchy so unbalanced that often the victims do not dare to react. All these mechanisms make it very difficult to combat this phenomenon and explain the high percentages in the ISNI survey.

In your faculty, are teachers, department heads, particularly feared for having sexist attitudes, or even worse?

Pierre: I have always worked in departments where the supervisors were particularly benevolent. I have never directly witnessed sexist attitudes in internship and even less during teaching at the faculty. Being a man and given my orientation choices, I am less at risk of being a victim. Moreover, I have always avoided operating theaters which would seem to be conducive to this type of action. Unfortunately, there are services and practitioners known to have inappropriate behavior. We share information between us...

Maud: I've been subjected to a lot of sexist talk, especially in the operating room, invitations with very direct sexual connotations, hands on my thighs... Once upon a time, I didn't feel safe and scared when I learned that I had to accompany a certain department head during his morning of consultations. It's not acceptable but I never knew how to react. I never had the courage to reframe a disrespecting senior doctor. It happened mainly at the beginning of my externship. I did not then have the necessary knowledge to understand that it was necessary to talk about it. Putting these actions down to fun does not take away the fact that they are particularly unhealthy.

Aline: Doctors are known to be particularly familiar or “tactile” with women so that they warn each other before each course. In some departments, it is sometimes advisable not to wear a dress or skirt so as not to "look for" the chiefs. Some doctors make comments about the physique, the way of dressing or ask shocking questions such as "you have a boyfriend? or “did you fuck last night? ". These behaviors go as far as inappropriate gestures such as a hand on the thigh. The authority relationship feeds the fear of reprisals. Many do not dare to answer. If an incisive retort is made, the leaders will ironically say that we "can't laugh", that we are "susceptible or stuck".

Do you think these behaviors can influence the choice of a career?

Pierre: Yes, definitely. The appreciation of a specialty and therefore his choice of career depends enormously on the experience of the internship. Having sexist experiences can be painful and discouraging to the point that the victim can no longer pursue a medical specialty that is perfectly suited to them.

Aline: Indirectly, these behaviors have an influence on the choice of specialty. There is the special case of pregnancy and maternity leave. During the internship this can delay the training. Some specialties, such as surgery, often favor men who are unlikely to take a "pregnancy break" during their course. This advantage facilitates their access to more important positions.

Maud: Our professional choice is guided by the vision we have of our future but also of what we can and want to accept. It seems unthinkable to me to work in a service where the atmosphere is unhealthy and where machismo reigns supreme. I couldn't thrive there. Unfortunately, there are so-called “queen” specialty services where sexist attitudes predominate. Even back home, the quality of life continues to be impacted by these distressing behaviors suffered at work.