The Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) stands strongly in support of gender equality in the medical profession in light of recent reports of sexual harassment among doctors.
AMSA President, James Lawler, said today that the medical profession was founded on principles of respect and integrity, but the current culture does not appear to be upholding these values between male and female doctors.
"The discussion has centred on whether to report inappropriate behaviour and how well reporting structures have handled it," Mr Lawler said.
"Sadly, this is missing the main point - which is that this harassment is occurring at all."
Maria Bilal, the AMSA representative to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Women in Surgery Committee, said there is an urgent need to work on improving the gender divide in surgery.
"Evidence shows that, despite increased participation from females in the medical workforce, women are still under-represented in the upper tiers of leadership," Ms Bilal said.
"Ensuring that female trainees have strong, supportive role models remains a challenge.
"Women in the medical profession, especially junior doctors, suffer from poorer mental health than men, with sexual misconduct a factor. It is essential that sexual misconduct, bullying, and other inappropriate behaviours are properly dealt with.
"Gender should not affect the way in which individuals progress their career - we need to foster a supportive system that allows trainees to thrive without the prospect of harassment.
"A true cultural shift requires effort from all stakeholders, especially males in leadership positions.
"As the new generation of doctors, medical students are committed to ensure that there is a change - beginning with a strong culture of transparency and accountability."
AMSA will work with the AMA and the Colleges to develop a sustained, coordinated national response to address these issues.