The Cancer Letter: Let’s stop passing the buck on sexual harassment in academic medicine

We’ve all heard this story before, just with a different set of names and places. Man harasses woman after woman, eventually someone (usually a woman) is brave enough to report him, a quiet investigation confirms the reports, and he quietly and seamlessly gets hired elsewhere with no one the wiser. 

The story is familiar, albeit with different names, institutions and specialties each time. Though the gender identities of those involved may vary, the most common situation is a man harassing a woman, which is the framework we will use henceforth.

The most recent public case centers around an oncologist who was employed at one of the most respected medical institutions in the world, the Mayo Clinic, and sexually harassed at least two women he mentored, one of whom was in training.

A clear timeline of the account, painstakingly put together by the investigative team at The Cancer Letter, depicts how those who misbehave often face little consequence and are passed along from one institution to another, able to perpetuate abuse ad infinitum (The Cancer LetterMay 28, 2021)…

You can read it here

About Shikha Jain, MD FACP

I am a practicing, board-certified hematology/oncology physician in Chicago. I speak on topics ranging from the impact of social media on healthcare, how physicians can utilize social media, how to write Op-eds in the medical world, gender equity and barriers to career advancement, and topics in GI oncology and immunotherapy. My goal is to explain complicated topics in simple terms. I also enjoy writing and you can find some of my writing on this site. I am a mother to three amazing kids and married to a gastroenterologist. I look forward to connecting with you.

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