When Compassion is Missing:
Bullying in Medical Colleges and Its Toll on Doctors’ Wellbeing

This blog isn’t just about raising awareness; it also serves as a reminder to pause and reflect. Doctors give so much of themselves to their patients, yet your own wellbeing deserves equal attention.

Bullying in medical colleges is more common than many practitioners realise and its impacts on mental health and wellbeing can be devastating.

Medical colleges and training organisations are meant to nurture, mentor and support. Yet toxic workplace culture continues to emerge in stories from staff, trainees and even governance levels. For doctors already under immense pressure, bullying is not just demoralising it is profoundly harmful to mental health, physical wellbeing, and professional identity.

Bullying in Medical Colleges: How It Shows Up in Training

National surveys reveal that one in three doctors-in-training experience or witness bullying, harassment, or discrimination. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors, the rate is even higher.

General practice pathways report lower rates overall, but registrars still describe being belittled, excluded from opportunities, or intimidated. Senior supervisors are often cited as perpetrators, showing how power imbalances within medical colleges can foster a toxic culture.

Bullying in medical colleges is therefore not isolated to individuals it is a systemic issue affecting trainees and senior doctors alike.

7 Wellbeing Impacts of Bullying on Doctors

Bullying in medical colleges directly undermines doctor wellbeing. Here are seven of the most damaging impacts:

1. Anxiety and Depression – Persistent intimidation and humiliation create chronic stress and clinical depression.

2. Loss of Professional Confidence – Constant criticism erodes self-esteem and clinical judgment.

3. Burnout and Compassion Fatigue – Bullying accelerates emotional exhaustion and detachment.

4. Sleep Disturbances – Stress contributes to insomnia and fatigue.

5. Physical Illness – Hypertension, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and weakened immunity often follow.

6. Isolation – Many doctors withdraw, fearing further stigma or retaliation.

7. Attrition – Some leave training, or even the profession, due to hostile environments.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us that wellbeing is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” By this definition, bullying harms every aspect of a doctor’s health. WHO on Wellbeing

Wellbeing Check-In for Practitioners

Take a moment to pause and reflect:

1. Am I feeling safe and respected at work?
2. Have I noticed changes in my sleep, mood, or energy levels?
3. Do I feel supported by my peers and supervisors?
4. When was the last time I did something restorative outside of medicine?

If you answered “no” to most of these, you may be experiencing early signs of stress, burnout, or the effects of workplace bullying.

What you can do today:

• Reach out to a trusted colleague or mentor

• Schedule time for rest and activities that restore you

• Contact confidential support services if you feel unsafe or overwhelmed

Support Services in Australia:

Drs4Drs: 1300 374 377

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Five Ways to Wellbeing: A Practical Framework for Medicine

To move from harm to healing, medical colleges must embed wellbeing into culture. The Five Ways to Wellbeing provide a simple, evidence-based framework:

🤝 Connect – Build peer support and mentoring networks.

🏃 Be Active – Encourage movement breaks and balanced rostering.

👀 Take Notice – Promote mindfulness and reflection to spot early stress signs.

📚 Keep Learning – Provide training in leadership, communication, and respectful behaviours.

💙Give – Recognise contributions and foster opportunities to support colleagues.

Bullying in Medical Colleges: Why It Persists

Despite decades of awareness, toxic workplace culture in healthcare persists due to:

• Rigid hierarchies – Power concentrated in few hands

• Silence and stigma – Fear of reporting reputational damage

• Projection of stress – Senior staff displacing pressure onto juniors

• Normalisation – Abusive behaviours excused as “part of training”

• Weak accountability – Lack of transparent processes for handling complaints

Until these systemic drivers are addressed, bullying will remain a hidden but powerful force within medical colleges.

Building a Culture of Wellbeing in Medical Colleges

True wellbeing in medical colleges requires cultural reform:

• Psychological Safety – Safe reporting channels without fear of reprisal

• Leadership Accountability – Boards must model respect and compassion

• Transparent Policies – Clear anti-bullying guidelines, visible and enforced

• Support Services – Stigma-free access to confidential counselling and wellbeing programs

• Recognition and Respect – Value doctors as people, not just professional

Final Word: Bullying Has No Place in Medicine

Toxicity and bullying in medical colleges have no place in healthcare. Doctors dedicate their lives to patients; they deserve compassion and dignity in return.

Until respect, compassion, and wellbeing frameworks are fully embedded in training and governance, both doctors and patients will continue to suffer.

It’s time to set a new standard:
Bullying has no place in medicine.
Doctor wellbeing must be non-negotiable.
Our doctors — and our patients — deserve better.

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