Introduction:

medical students are prone to mistreatment from their colleagues, administrative staff, and patients.

Objective:

to determine the characteristics of the mistreatment of medical students in Paraguay in 2022.

Method:

an observational, cross-sectional design was applied. Medical students of both sexes who agreed to participate in the online survey were included. Sampling was for convenience. Demographic variables were measured. The perception of abuse was evaluated according to four components (psychological, physical, academic, and sexual) using the previously validated questionnaire by Munayco-Guillén F et al. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Privada del Este, Paraguay.

Results:

the questionnaire was answered by 214 students, 146 being women (mean age 24 ± 3 years) and 68 men (mean age 25 ± 5 years). The majority reside in Asunción (29.4%) and attend private universities (92%). The mean ± SD of psychological abuse was 1.89 ± 1.02, physical abuse was 1.64 ± 0.89, academic abuse was 2.01 ± 1.11, and sexual abuse was 1.4 ± 0. 83. Applying cut-off points at the 60th and 70th percentiles, the abuse was mild in 126 students (58.9%), moderate in 24 (11.2%), and severe in 64 (29.9%). The main reason for not reporting it was fear of being singled out by others or receiving reprisals (17.3%).

Discussion:

mild abuse was detected in 58.9%, moderate in 11.2%, and severe in 29.9% of medical students. It is necessary to apply measures to prevent and contain abuse.