Prevalence and Characteristics of Medical Student Mistreatment in Lebanon

Abstract

This 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.This is a cross-sectional study conducted using an online-based survey among medical students who have performed clinical rotations in Lebanon.Out 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.This 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.