Fourth-Year Medical Student Perspective on "Pimping"

Profession: Medical Student

Submitted On: December 15th, 2020

Trigger Warnings: anxiety, "pimping"

"As a 4th year medical student, I've already seen how certain structural practices in medicine are meant to perpetuate a climate of unwellness. One such practice that I am so fed up with is pimping. I've seen some attendings literally break down med students in front of their peers in some sort of power move, and it's not right. Usually they pick out the ones who aren't falling in line or kissing up to them to target. I've been pretty lucky, as have others, but a couple of my classmates somehow always get the short end of the stick. One was picked on so much during third year that he had a nervous breakdown in front of a particularly nasty attending and didn't want to go into his rotations anymore. I literally had to talk him out of quitting medicine. He is currently taking a gap year to do research and consider if he wants to continue. It's not a joke, it can actually be traumatizing to some people. When talking to the residents about it, there is almost a general acceptance of the practice, as if it is a rite of passage that you must go through to become a knowledgable physician, and a tradition that you must pass on to the next generation of doctors. I honestly refuse to accept that, and I'm glad certain institutions are taking a good hard look at it to try to tone down such a hurtful practice. It's one thing for attendings to quiz students, and it's another thing to haze and psychologically terrorize someone who is just trying to learn. Let's get it straight please."

We appreciate the opportunity to share stories like these with our community, with the goal of destigmatizing the struggles faced within the medical field.