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Supervisor-trainee relationship boundaries in medical education
Patricia Ryan Recupero1, Meghan C Cooney, Christine Rayner
1Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. Patricia_Recupero@Brown.edu
Medical Teacher
|November 2, 2005
Summary
Medical training programs need clearer faculty-student relationship boundaries. A study found frequent boundary issues, including academic, personal, and dating concerns, impacting medical education and patient care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Professional Ethics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Medical student mistreatment is a concern, yet faculty-student relationship boundaries lack systematic study.
- Understanding these boundaries is crucial for maintaining a healthy learning environment and preventing exploitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify frequent behaviors in supervisor-trainee relationships that may cross professional and personal boundaries.
- To assess the incidence and sources of boundary-related issues in medical training.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 154 residents across psychiatry, internal medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology departments.
- Residents reported encountered behaviors, frequency, and supervisor status during medical training.
Main Results:
- A significant incidence of behaviors violating academic/professional, personal, and dating boundaries was reported.
- Behaviors ranged from minor issues to potential exploitation, with faculty and senior residents as primary sources.
Conclusions:
- Boundary issues in supervisor-trainee relationships are prevalent in medical training.
- These boundary violations can adversely affect students, the teacher-student dynamic, and patient care, necessitating further research.