Female doctors have been warned reporting sexual harassment may ruin their careers. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited
FEMALE training doctors are better of giving “blow jobs” and accepting sexual requests than reporting harassment to authorities because their careers will be destroyed. That’s the extraordinary revelation from a high-profile female Sydney vascular surgeon on sexism in the medical profession.
Dr Gabrielle McMullin told ABC radio the worst thing victims could do was complain.
She detailed the story of “Caroline”, whose career was ruined after she was sexually assaulted by a surgeon who took her under his wing.
“She was horrified, she ran out of the office, she didn’t tell anyone,” Dr McMullin said.
Later, the same surgeon began to give the Caroline bad reports. She eventually reported the case and after a long legal battle, won.
“Despite that victory, she has never been appointed to a public position in a hospital in Australasia,” Dr McMullin told AM.
Female doctors have been warned reporting sexual harassment may ruin their careers. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited
“Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex.
“Realistically, she would have been much better to have given him a blow job on that night.
“What I tell my trainees is if you are approached for sex, probably the safest thing to do in terms of your career is to comply with the request.
“The worst thing you could possibly do is to complain to the supervising body.
“You can be sure that you will never be appointed to a major public hospital.”
Dr Saxon Smith, president of the Australian Medical Association in NSW, told the ABC sexual harassment was not tolerated and women should speak out and not allow it to continue.
He denied there were implications for a woman’s career if she spoke out.
“Medicine has moved in the last 20 years. Sure, if you go back further than that — yes, it may well have been the case,” Dr Smith said.
“But we know increasingly — and the trend is — that every graduating year for medicine is more female than male as far as the graduate numbers and as such, there is a tide to turn.”
Originally published as ‘Blow job’ better than blowing whistle