Student Curriculum Committee
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Vanderbilt University Medical School
Standards of Behavior for Interactions with Medical Students (1)

Statement of Standards

In practice, physicians are held to high standards of professionalism and patient care. The medical learning environment is expected to facilitate students' acquisition of the professional and collegial attitudes necessary for effective, caring and compassionate health care. The development and nurturing of these attitudes requires mutual respect between teachers (including faculty, residents and staff) and students, and between each student and his or her fellow students.(2) Mutual respect between student and teacher, and between fellow students, may be expressed in many ways but all interactions shall include honesty, fairness and evenhanded treatment. Behavior which is inimical to the development of mutual respect shall be prohibited. Such behavior may include but is not limited to:

  1. Harassment of a sexual nature;
  2. Discrimination or harassment based on race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service or being or being perceived as homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual.
  3. Grading, promoting or otherwise evaluating any student on any basis other than that student's performance or merit.

Comments
The following delineates more clearly the behavior enumerated above which may be inimical to the development of mutual respect between students and teacher and between fellow students. For purposes of these Comments, the term “person” shall refer to a student in interactions between fellow students or, in student-teacher interactions, to the student or teacher, as appropriate.

(1) Harassment of a sexual nature may include:

a. Denying the opportunity for training or rewards because of a student's gender;
b. Requesting sexual favors in exchange for grades or other awards;
c. Making unwanted sexual advances;
d. Unreasonable and inappropriate sexual or sexist conduct directed towards any person;
e. Displaying in an unreasonable and inappropriate manner sexually suggestive or pornographic materials; or
f. Grading or evaluating a student based upon gender rather than performance and merit.

(2) Discrimination and harassment may include:

a .Denying the opportunity for training or rewards because of a student's age, race, religious affiliation or any other attribute of the student other than merit or performance;
b. Unreasonable and inappropriate conduct directed towards any person which is intended to insult or stigmatize that person,
c. Exclusion of a student from any usual and reasonable expected educational opportunity for any reason other than as a reasonable response to that student's performance or merit;
d. Requiring a student to perform personal services such as shopping or babysitting;
e. Showing favoritism among students based upon any attribute of the student(s) other than performance or merit and thereby reducing educational opportunities available to the nonfavored student(s); or
f. Grading or evaluating a student based upon any attribute of a student other than that student's performance and merit.
g. Any physical mistreatment, such as hitting, slapping or kicking, or threatening such physical mistreatment;
h. Requiring a student to perform menial tasks with the intent to humiliate the student.

Any perceived violation of these Standards of Behavior (“Standards”) may be reported in accordance with the following procedure. Violations of these Standards may subject the offender to disciplinary action. These Standards may be amended at any time by the Executive Faculty. The Standards Committee shall be composed of such members as the Dean shall appoint from time to time.

Reporting Procedure

     Prior to filing a formal report as outlined below, the individual considering making a report should first, if at all possible, attempt to resolve the matter directly with the alleged offender. In addition, the reporting individual may consult informally with any member of the Standards Committee for information and assistance. Any such informal consultation will be confidential if so requested. The only written record of any such confidential consultation shall consist of a confidential memorandum retained in the files of the Chair of the Standards Committee.

     To make a formal report of an alleged violation of these Standards, a written description of the alleged violation, signed by the individual making the report, shall be delivered to any individual on the Standards Committee. The Standards Committee shall conduct a preliminary investigation, giving the reporting individual, the alleged offender and any other persons as the Standards Committee shall determine a fair opportunity to express their views on the matter. Further, the Standards Committee shall make, in accordance with commonly held standards of conduct, any necessary preliminary determination of what does or does not constitute reasonable or appropriate conduct and behavior. Thereafter, the Standards Committee shall issue a written statement of their preliminary findings to the individual making the report, the alleged offender and to the Dean. The Dean shall then take such further action on the matter as the Dean shall deem appropriate, consistent with Vanderbilt University policy on disciplinary actions as set forth in the Vanderbilt University Faculty Manual, Student Handbook or Staff Manual, as applicable.

     Alternatively, a student alleging sexual harassment or unlawful discrimination may make a complaint to Vanderbilt's Opportunity Development Center in accordance with the procedure outlined in the Student Handbook. If the complaint to the Opportunity Development Center does not resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the individual making the complaint, a formal grievance may be filed with the Office of the Chancellor in accordance with the procedure in the Student Handbook.

Proposed by a joint student faculty committee and approved by Executive Faculty, School of Medicine , May 5, 1993.

(1) All Vanderbilt University policies concerning medical student interactions with faculty and staff as set forth in the Vanderbilt University Student Handbook, the Faculty Manual and the Staff Manual remain in full force and effect.

(2) By their express terms, these Standards apply only to interactions which involve one or more medical students; however, it is hoped that these Standards will serve as a guide to all members of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center community. The reporting procedure outlined herein shall apply only to allegations of the violation of these Standards in interactions involving medical student(s).


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