Bullying within specialist medical training in Australia: Analysis of the medical training survey, 2020–2023

Abstract

Objective Bullying is common in medical specialist training in Australia. To understand bullying rates across medical specialist training programs, we analyse the recent Medical Training Survey, administered by the Medical Board of Australia to all registered medical practitioners. Methods Medical Training Survey data were extracted and averaged from 2020 to 2023. Results Many speciality trainees reported personally experiencing or witnessing bullying. This was lowest in general practice (13% personally experienced and 15% witnessed) and highest in obstetrics and gynaecology (27% and 41%). The highest rate of bullying by supervisors was in surgery: 60% of surgical trainees stated that when they were bullied it was by their supervisor. Within psychiatry, 22% of trainees had personally experienced bullying and 32% of trainees had witnessed bullying. When they were bullied, the perpetrator was less commonly a supervisor (40%). In all specialities, there was a very low percentage of bullying which was reported, and was identified as having a satisfactory outcome: the most satisfactory outcomes (13%) were in general practice. Conclusion Current rates of bullying for medical specialist trainees, the reluctance to report, as well as the lack of satisfactory outcomes, is of grave concern for Australian healthcare. This requires urgent attention at a systems level.