Teacher/Learner Conduct and Unprofessional Behavior
gme-adm-0033
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 10-26-2017
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 08-20-2025
- Responsible University Office:
- Graduate Medical Education
- Responsible University Administrator:
- Senior Associate Dean for GME
- Policy Contact:
- GME Assistant Director Emilie Leveque
eleveque@iu.edu
- Policy Feedback:
- If you have comments or questions about this policy, let us know with the policy feedback form.
- Print or view a PDF of this policy
- Many policies are quite lengthy. Please check the page count before deciding whether to print.
Scope
This policy applies to all Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) Graduate Medical Education (GME) resident physicians.
Policy Statement
Examples of mistreatment and other behavior that interfere with effective teaching and learning:
Annually, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) surveys graduating medical students via the Graduation Questionnaire about perceived mistreatment experiences. In order to promote IUSM’s compliance with the AAMC survey, the examples listed below are taken directly from the Graduation Questionnaire and are included here for illustrative purposes only.
- Publicly embarrassed or humiliated
- Threatened with physical harm or being physically harmed
- Required to perform personal services
- Subjected to sexual advances
- Asked to exchange sexual favors for grades or other rewards
- Denied opportunities for training or rewards based on gender, race or ethnicity, or sexual orientation
- Subjected to offensive, sexist remarks/names; racially or ethnically offensive remarks/names; or subjected to offensive remarks/names related to sexual orientation
- Received lower evaluations/grades based on gender, race or ethnicity, or sexual orientation
Reason for Policy
The purpose of this policy is to define unprofessional or abusive behaviors and sexual harassment and to define the procedures used for investigation of a complaint.
IUSM’s educational mission is promoted by professionalism in faculty/resident/ student/staff relationships. Professionalism is fostered by an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Actions of faculty and residents that harm this atmosphere undermine professionalism and hinder fulfillment of the School’s educational mission. Trust and respect are diminished when those in positions of authority mistreat others. Those who mistreat others in such a context violate their duty to the academic community, as well as the IUSM Honor Code.
There may be situations where medical students or residents feel they are mistreated or sexually harassed in the medical education setting. Because the relationship between faculty and students or residents is hierarchical, it remains the ethical responsibility of the faculty to assure that students and residents are professionally mentored and respectfully treated. Likewise, it is critical that residents treat medical students in a professional and non-abusive manner.
IUSM is thus committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. This commitment also includes an obligation to promptly investigate alleged violations of the IUSM Honor Code. The policy herein provides examples of mistreatment and other behavior that will not be tolerated and the procedures for reporting instances of conduct and other behavior that interfere with effective teaching and learning such that they can be addressed.
Indiana University maintains a Code of Academic Ethics which outlines the professional conduct of faculty members in their interactions with students and residents. The policy herein is a supplement to this university-wide Code of Academic Ethics and provides an interpretation and implementation process specific to IUSM.
Procedures
Please see the “Procedures for Reporting Mistreatment” document under “Forms.”
Definitions
ACGME is the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
A resident is an IUSM resident or fellow, or a non-IUSM resident or fellow electively rotating through IUSM and provides clinical care as part of a GME program.
A learner is either a medical student or a resident, either from IUSM or another medical school. The learner is in subordinate position to the teacher.
A teacher is either a resident or a faculty member in a teaching and/or supervising role.
Implementation
The Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for GME is responsible for implementation of this policy.Oversight
Policy authority for this document resides with the Graduate Medical Education Committee. The DIO and the Graduate Medical Education Committee are responsible for oversight. This policy will be reviewed every three years or more often if deemed necessary.History
- Policy gme-adm-0033 approved by GMEC and published on 28 August 2013.
- Policy reviewed, updated, and approved by GMEC on 09 October 2017.
- Policy updated for formatting 05 March 2018.
- Policy updated for formatting 27 June 2018.
- New form added and policy newly approved on 20 August 2025.