CURE THE CULTURE 2.0 CAMPAIGN

8 January 2021 - 15 January 2021

Click here to view our Improving Houseman Training Policy Campaign.

Scroll down to see more of this campaign!

Background


Malaysian Medics International (MMI) first launched Cure the Culture in July 2018, when the head of the orthopaedics department at a hospital in Klang Valley was reported to sexually harass housemen for years.

It has been three years since the incident, but clinical workplace toxic culture remains. Therefore, MMI, as a representative body for Malaysian medical students and junior doctors, decided it's time to launch Cure the Culture 2.0.

Doctors deserve to work in a positive environment that values respectful communication, teamwork, and support. There have been surveys carried out amongst doctors which demonstrate the severity of this phenomenon. However, MMI believes this issue needs to gain more traction and awareness within the community. Join us in understanding just how far this issue extends within the doctors' community and let us all stand up for a better future for doctors!

Click HERE to view our policy document for housemanship reviewed!

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Definition & Consequences

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First, do no harm.

This is the foremost principle taught to all medical students as we chart our path as future practitioners. This doctrine symbolises the essence of our duty as doctors and reflects the compassionate nature of our profession.

With alarming incidents of bullying and harassment towards housemen being reported, this raises the question about the level of compassion within the medical field.

The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has issued a clause in the “Code of Professional Conduct” guideline reiterating that medical professionals must treat their colleagues with dignity and respect, regardless of the workplace hierarchy. Will bullying and harassment continue to be dismissed as the norm?

Why is it not reported?


With the advent of social media, we are beginning to see increasing reports of bullying and harassment among doctors in the workplace. Several online surveys have been initiated among the Malaysian doctors' community to establish the severity of the issue.

Despite the many cases of bullying and harassment experienced among doctors, many of them go unreported. Why is this the case? What are the reasons that prevent them from speaking out against these abusive acts?

Malaysian Medics International (MMI), as the representative body of medical students and junior doctors, would like to raise awareness on why bullying and harassment are severely under-reported amongst healthcare workers. We hope that everyone will join us in this movement to improve Malaysian doctors' work culture!

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Seek for HELP!

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SILENCE is not a solution. 

Seek help if you have been, or are being, bullied and harassed by your fellow medical colleagues. 

First, try to resolve the issue with the parties involved, and if that fails, then present the issue to your superiors for further advice. 

If solving the issue internally is not possible, then try external sources like Sistem Pengurusan Aduan Awam (SisPAA) or Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Helpdoc. Here at Malaysian Medics International (MMI), we will try to help as well! Send us a message at any time if you are being bullied or harassed in your clinical workplace. 

Join us in curing the toxic culture in our healthcare system. Together with MMI, say no to bullying and harassment!

Where to seek help:

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Reference:

 The Unheard

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” - Malala Yousafzai.

For decades, there have been multiple cases of bullying and harassment experienced among doctors, yet most of them go unreported. Even when reported on the news, most of them remain unresolved.

Don’t hesitate to use your voice as each individual voice carries significant weight and value to improve toxic workplace culture for the better.

If not now, when?

Join our movement now to create a positive work culture for all the Malaysian doctors!

A huge thanks to the few young doctors who voiced out their concerns and perspectives regarding the culture of Malaysia’s clinical workplace.

Here we proudly present to you - The Unheard.

 Humans of Medicine

 
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One day, I was called for a meeting with my HO supervisor and the Head of Department (HOD). I remembered very clearly these words, ‘housemanship is very difficult, and some people are just not meant to be doctors’, during the meeting. I was dumbfounded. Not only did they not show any support, but they also insinuated that I was unfit to be a HO. My mental illness was brushed off, and I was branded weak. I felt discouraged and denied justice. Anger welled up inside of me. However, I kept telling myself that everyone is the same, and these people are just the minority……

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Medical school was a bliss. I enjoyed learning medicine and hanging out with my friends. I was very cheerful. Once I started as a house officer (HO), everything became so different. Suddenly, I was the front liner of all front liners, the first person to see patients before all the other doctors, the one handling the unimaginable and daunting shifts. Yet I continued to push through each day……

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