International Journal of Public Health (Jul 2024)

Prevalence and Characteristics of Medical Student Mistreatment in Lebanon

  • Ahmad El Nouiri,
  • Sarah El Kassem,
  • Zeina Al Maaz,
  • Yasser Alhajj,
  • Alhareth Al Moussawi,
  • Ahmad El Yaman,
  • Hussein El Hajjar,
  • Mohannad Abdallah,
  • Gaith Assi,
  • Mohamad Houri,
  • Bilal Azakir

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606710
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 69

Abstract

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ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of medical student mistreatment in Lebanon, the framework of the incidents, and the extent of students’ knowledge on mistreatment characteristics.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study conducted using an online-based survey among medical students who have performed clinical rotations in Lebanon.ResultsOut of 300 respondents, 48.7% reported being subjected to mistreatment during clinical practice, which was significantly associated with gender, type of university, and family income. The two most common sources of mistreatment were patients and their families/friends (77.4%), and attending physicians (52.7%), followed by residents (49.3%). Students mostly chose to be passive and pacifying. Additionally, 64.7% of students stated they were not trained about the ideal way to handle these incidents.ConclusionThis study showed that medical student mistreatment is highly prevalent in Lebanon. It also highlighted the lack of proper education on mistreatment characteristics and the necessity for investigating its effects.

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