Bullying of Medical Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey
2008

Bullying of Medical Students in Pakistan

Sample size: 342 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Ahmer Syed, Yousafzai Abdul Wahab, Bhutto Naila, Alam Sumira, Sarangzai Amanullah Khan, Iqbal Arshad

Primary Institution: Aga Khan University

Hypothesis

What is the prevalence and nature of bullying experienced by medical students in Pakistan?

Conclusion

A significant proportion of medical students in Pakistan experience bullying, primarily verbal abuse from consultants.

Supporting Evidence

  • 52% of respondents reported facing bullying or harassment during medical education.
  • 57% of bullying incidents were reported as verbal abuse.
  • 46% of bullying was perpetrated by consultants.
  • Students without a bullying policy at their college were more likely to experience bullying.

Takeaway

Many medical students in Pakistan are bullied, mostly by their teachers, and this can make them feel very sad and stressed.

Methodology

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among final year medical students in six medical colleges in Pakistan.

Potential Biases

Participants who experienced bullying may have been more likely to participate, potentially inflating the prevalence.

Limitations

The study did not collect data on students who chose not to participate, which may affect the results.

Participant Demographics

Mean age 23.73 years, 52.5% male, 90% single, 82% in government-run medical colleges, 91% Muslim.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.02

Confidence Interval

1.09 (0.96–1.23)

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0003889

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