Predictors of Physician Assistant Student Mistreatment Reporting

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Student Well-being

Background:

• Physician assistant (PA) students frequently encounter mistreatment from preceptors during clinical rotations.
• The majority of these incidents go unreported, hindering institutional intervention and support systems.
• Understanding the reasons behind nonreporting is crucial for improving student safety and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors that predict whether PA students report mistreatment experienced during clinical rotations.
• To analyze the relationship between the type of mistreatment, student demographics, and reporting behavior.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, cross-sectional, predictive research design was employed.
• Data were collected from two national surveys of PA students and programs in 2019.
• Logistic regression analysis identified significant predictors of mistreatment reporting.

Main Results:

• Students were twice as likely to report physical or sexual mistreatment compared to other forms.
• Older students demonstrated a higher likelihood of reporting mistreatment than their younger peers.
• Institutional policy factors did not emerge as significant predictors of reporting behavior.

Conclusions:

• The reporting of severe mistreatment suggests students recognize its gravity and importance.
• Student demographics, particularly age, influence reporting decisions, highlighting the role of life experience.
• The limited impact of policy factors indicates a need for broader strategies to encourage mistreatment reporting in PA education.