Procedures for Reporting an Incident of Mistreatment, Bias, or Harassment
As laid out in detail in the Teacher-Learner Relationship Policy, there are five avenues for reporting behaviors that undermine the Culture of Respect in the Learning Environment. The School of Medicine is committed to creating and sustaining a Culture of Respect. As a result, we take reports of mistreatment very seriously and act swiftly to investigate and take actions appropriate to the scenario.
A medical student who feels that they have witnessed or experienced any type of bias, harassment, or mistreatment in the learning environment may contact the Medical Student Life Advisory Committee (MSLAC). Membership of the MSLAC is small but representative and consists of select members of the faculty, staff and students who are trained to assist students with any concerns of mistreatment or questions about how to proceed. Students can report to the Co-Chairs of the Committee or to any member with whom they feel comfortable. The members of MSLAC can be found in Biographies for Membership.
The MSLAC also offers an Anonymous Comment Box for medical students to submit reports. Students should be as specific as possible in the reports that they make through the comment box (location, service, date of occurrence, names/roles of individuals involved or present, etc.). Please note that anonymous reporting limits the ability of the administration to act due to lack of specificity and ability to follow up with the person making the report. Reports made to the anonymous comment box are nevertheless taken very seriously, and investigated thoroughly, by the School of Medicine. Submissions will be reviewed at each of the monthly MSLAC meetings and any identifiable patterns in a particular department will be addressed, in addition to case by case follow up as warranted. MSLAC prepares reports and recommendations to the Dean for Medical Education and the Senior Associate Dean of Students.
If a student experiences or witnesses any type of bias, harassment, or mistreatment while in a clinical clerkship setting, he or she is encouraged to report the matter to any member of the Clerkship Coordinator Reporting Team. To alleviate any medical student discomfort in reporting these issues, Clerkship Coordinators from several separate departments kindly volunteer to serve on the Reporting Team to provide students with an opportunity to bring their concerns to a Coordinator outside of the rotation in which mistreatment was experienced or witnessed.
Upon receipt of any reports of mistreatment directly from a student or from a member of the Clerkship Coordinator Reporting Team, a Subcommittee of the Medical Student Life Advisory Committee comprised of at least two faculty members and one student will convene to review and investigate the claims. If the report is found to have merit and involves two students, the case will be forwarded to the Senior Associate Dean of Students who may forward it to the Committee on Students. If the report is found to have merit and involves a student who has been mistreated by a faculty member, the MSLAC will forward the case to IDEAA. In the event that the faculty member is a MedStar employee or an employee of another affiliated institution, the Dean for Medical Education may contact the Chair of the Department or the appropriate person in the affiliate administration at his discretion.
Members of the Clerkship Coordinator Reporting Team:
- Kimberly Hall, Surgical Specialties
Email: KEH108@gunet.georgetown.edu
Phone: 202-444-7371
Office Location: 1PHC
- Mesky Lloyd, Internal Medicine
Email: Meskerem.Lloyd@gunet.georgetown.edu
Phone: 202-444-2919
Office Location: 5PHC
- Sandra Perlmutter, Psychiatry
Email: spp3@gunet.georgetown.edu, spp9@georgetown.edu
Phone: 202-944-5375
Pager: 202-405-5289
Office Location: 2115 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
Stop, Talk, Roll
Stop, Talk, Roll (STR) is a communication guidance tool that has been designed to provide suggested phrases and approaches for medical students and residents to addressing particular scenarios and diffuse tense communication exchanges with a wide range of stakeholders. STR training and guidance will be provided to medical students, residents and medical staff this coming fall.
STR also provides pathways for seeking out help and support to navigate the scenarios, which include seeking out support from your residency program leadership, including: chief residents, program directors and associate program directors.