If you believe you have been mistreated, or if you know of a student who has been mistreated, please review the consultation and reporting process available in the UCF COM Student Mistreatment Policy
Mistreatment Consultation/Reporting Form
The initial step is to report the concern or incident. A medical student who believes they have been mistreated, or an individual who becomes aware of mistreatment, may make an initial report to the module director, clerkship director, site director (if within a hospital system), program director (if within a residency program), or the associate dean for students. All students, faculty, staff, and residents affiliated with the UCF College of Medicine shall report incidents of mistreatment.
After reporting, there are three procedural avenues of redress available to medical students: consultation, informal resolution, and formal grievance. Often, concerns can be resolved through consultation or informal resolution. However, the student who made the report (the “Grievant”) can initiate a grievance if the matter is not satisfactorily resolved through the consultation or informal resolution procedure. In addition, another person or the person about whom the report was made (the “Respondent”) can initiate a formal grievance. Detailed information can be found in the UCF COM Student Mistreatment Policy
Medical Student Mistreatment Defined
UCF College of Medicine has defined mistreatment as any behavior that is harmful or offensive and unreasonably interferes with a student’s learning. Such behavior may be verbal (swearing, humiliation, insults), emotional (neglect, a hostile environment), and physical (threats, physical harm). Students should be aware that medical student training is a rigorous process and feedback may occasionally be uncomfortable. For example, the Socratic method is frequently utilized in medical education, to not only assess knowledge but also to promote synthesis and application of that knowledge. In and of itself, the Socratic method does not constitute mistreatment. (However, once it is clear that a student has reached the limit of his/her knowledge, it is not appropriate to continue berating students with questions or with denigrating comments about his/her knowledge base.) Students should take this into account when assessing potential cases of mistreatment.
Examples of mistreatment include but are not limited to:
- verbal attacks or speaking insultingly to or about a person
- public belittling or humiliation (e.g., beyond the appropriate use of the Socratic method)
- threat of harm or being physically attacked (e.g., hitting, slapping, or kicking a person, or throwing instruments at a person)
- requiring performance of personal services (e.g., shopping, babysitting)
- intentional neglect or lack of communication (e.g., neglect, in a clerkship, of students with interests in a different field of medicine) or other instances that cause unwarranted exclusion from reasonable learning or professional opportunities
- disregard for student safety
- denigrating comments about a student’s field of choice
- threat of grading and other forms of assessment as a reward or punishment other than course/clinical performance
- assigning duties as punishment rather than education
- other behaviors that are contrary to the spirit of learning and/or violate trust between the teacher and learner.
Other mistreatment behaviors such as sexual harassment, and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and veteran status are covered under this and other College and University policies. When a medical student is alleged to have engaged in medical student mistreatment, the case may be referred to the Honor Council (aka Student Professional Conduct Council) if it represents a violation of professionalism standards. Disputes over grades are handled by M.D. Program academic policies.
Other resources for reporting student mistreatment or getting help:
University Ombuds Office (located on main campus)
http://ombuds.ucf.edu/
Ombuds officers –
Shreya Trivedi, University Ombuds Officer
Daniel Thompson, Assistant Ombuds
Phone: (407) 823-6440
Millican Hall, Suite 243, Room 247
Victim Services
http://victimservices.ucf.edu/
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (407) 823-1200
Other victim resources can be found here: http://victimservices.ucf.edu/resources
Title IX – Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and/or Interpersonal Violence
Office of Institutional Equity
https://letsbeclear.ucf.edu/
https://oie.ucf.edu
Connecting to Resources and Reporting a Concern
If you or someone you know has been impacted by gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, or sexual exploitation, there are resources, services, and reporting options available. Please visit the Let’s Be Clear website to learn more. You may also contact a member of the Title IX team directly to discuss your concerns:
Confidential resources and support are available as well:
UCF Victim Services: Ask a question, discuss a concern, and get confidential help.
Text (407) 823- 6868 or Call (407) 823-1200 (24 Hours).
https://victimservices.ucf.edu/
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Provides individual and group counseling as well as resource referrals.
Call (407) 823- 2811 (24-hour crisis support is available by dialing 5)
UCF Ombuds Office: Listens to concerns, discusses options for reporting, and helps open the lines of communication.
Call 407-823-6440 or 407-823-6441