The second national Medical Training Survey (MTS) shows doctors in training are continuing to be affected by excessive hours, unpaid overtime, and bullying and harassment in the workplace. While most trainees rated their training experience highly, one in five reported experiencing and/or witnessing bullying, harassment or discrimination, and almost one in two reported an excessive workload.
Turning a blind eye to practices that allow doctors to work excessive hours of unpaid and unrostered overtime is not only inefficient and unproductive, but puts patient care and doctor wellbeing at risk," Dr Hash Abdeen, Chair of the AMA Council of Doctors in Training (CDT), said.
"This survey again sees doctors in training reporting unacceptable levels of bullying and harassment and fear of reporting it. This is particularly the case for our Indigenous colleagues."
"It's just not good enough in 2021. We need to start calling this out for what it is and creating safe systems for reporting bullying & harassment, whilst strengthening mechanisms that demonstrate visible action that support all those involved."
Almost 22,000 doctors in training - more than half of all trainee doctors in Australia - took part in the Medical Board of Australia survey, which was conducted late last year.
