Report a concern

Mistreatment is behaviour that shows disrespect for the dignity of others and unreasonably interferes with the learning process. It’s typically due to misuse of power by someone in authority over the mistreated person. Examples of mistreatment include:

• harassment, including sexual harassment (verbal and non-verbal)
• discrimination (e.g., offensive remarks based on gender, race or sexual orientation)
• intimidation (e.g., threats, bullying, humiliation)
• physical harm (threatened or actual)
• retaliation (e.g., use of assessments in a punitive manner) and reprisal
• deliberate exclusion of learners from learning opportunities
• inadequate supervision (e.g., lack of feedback, lack of empathy, lack of learning support)

Mistreatment is always unprofessional. However, a lack of professionalism doesn’t always involve mistreatment.

Unprofessional behaviour involves actions and communications that violate the Faculty of Medicine’s core values found on the Policy on Professionalism page of:

Examples of unprofessional behaviour:

• Repeatedly cancelling teaching sessions at the last minute
• Consistently showing up late for teaching sessions
• Not responding to requests when on call
• Committing academic fraud
• Sharing a photo of a patient on social media without their permission

As stated, the Faculty of Medicine has zero tolerance for the mistreatment of learners, whether by other learners, faculty, staff or allied health-care professionals. However, we can only act if inappropriate behaviours are reported. There are policies and procedures for reporting and addressing cases of mistreatment. These policies and procedures are well defined, support the confidentiality of both the reporter and the subject of the report, and allow reporters to remain anonymous if they choose.

You should report mistreatment if:

• you experience mistreatment and/or unprofessional behaviour
• you witness mistreatment and/or unprofessional behaviour

If members of the Faculty community report all instances of mistreatment, the Faculty can address each unique case in a professional and respectful manner.

The Faculty of Medicine reaffirms its commitment to fostering a professional and respectful working and learning environment. This includes ongoing efforts to monitor and enhance the learning environment through regular communication with hospitals and instructional sites to identify both positive and negative influences on professionalism.

Recognizing that professionalism in healthcare must be both taught and modeled, the Faculty is dedicated to promoting positive role models and addressing unprofessional behaviour, which can undermine education, research, patient care, and the overall learning environment.

To support this commitment, the Faculty provides this reporting form for reporting concerns regarding professional conduct. Reports may be submitted anonymously and are directed to the appropriate office based on the respondent’s role. For example, UGME for medical students, PGME for residents, Vice Dean Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for graduate and undergraduate science programs and Faculty Affairs for faculty members.

Resources such as the Faculty of Medicine's Office of Professionalism and the University of Ottawa's Human Rights Office are available to help individuals assess and address incidents of unprofessional conduct or mistreatment.

If you experience mistreatment, we’re here to provide support.

Medical students

Support is available through the following offices:

• Office of Professionalism: Provides guidance related to professionalism concerns, reporting mistreatment, and where to access confidential support
• Wellbeing Program: Offers individual counselling/psychotherapy and wellness supports
• Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Provides support related to EDI issues
• Undergraduate Medical Education Office: Provides guidance to medical students about how to report mistreatment and the supports available to them
• Student Affairs Office: Offers mentoring, advocacy, academic and career counselling, financial guidance, and wellness initiatives.

Grad, TMM, Postdoctoral Fellows

Support is available through the following offices:

• Office of Professionalism: Provides guidance related to professionalism concerns, reporting mistreatment, and where to access confidential support
• Wellbeing Program: Offers individual counselling/psychotherapy and wellness supports
• Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Provides support related to EDI issues
• Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office: Provides guidance to graduate students about how to report mistreatment and the supports available to them

PharmD students

Support is available through the following offices:

• Office of Professionalism: Provides guidance related to professionalism concerns, reporting mistreatment, and where to access confidential support
• Wellbeing Program: Offers individual counselling/psychotherapy and wellness supports
• Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Provides support related to EDI issues
• PharmD Office: Provides guidance to pharmacy students about how to report mistreatment and the supports available to them

Medical residents, Clinical fellows

Support is available through the following offices:

• Office of Professionalism: Provides guidance related to professionalism concerns, reporting mistreatment, and where to access confidential support
• Wellbeing Program: Offers individual counselling/psychotherapy and wellness supports
• Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Provides support related to EDI issues
• Postgraduate Medical Education Office: Provides guidance to residents about how to report mistreatment and the supports available to them

Faculty members

Support is available through the following offices:

• Office of Professionalism: Provides guidance related to professionalism concerns, reporting mistreatment, and where to access confidential support
• Wellbeing Program: Offers individual counselling/psychotherapy and wellness supports
• Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Provides support related to EDI issues

Once a report is submitted through the reporting form, the incident is investigated.

This process allows the Faculty and departmental leadership to address each unique case in a professional and respectful manner. The confidentiality of all parties involved is protected according to the policies of the appropriate governing body. Anyone who retaliates or takes reprisals against the reporter will face serious consequences.

Report submitted

A report is submitted through the online reporting form. The reporter can choose to submit the report anonymously or provide their name, which will allow the investigating team to follow up with them and gather more information. Whether or not the reporter chooses to remain anonymous, all information submitted will remain confidential, in line with uOttawa polices and procedures.

Vice-dean notified

The vice-dean and delegates of the academic unit (e.g., UGME, PGME, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, PharmD, Faculty Affairs) for the reporter and the subject of the report (respondent) are notified a report has been submitted.

The vice-dean and delegates automatically receive a copy of the report for review.

Reporter contacted

The vice-dean (or delegate) of the relevant academic unit contacts the reporter to discuss the incident. All discussions are documented.

The reporter is offered wellness support.

If the reporter chose to remain anonymous, they can’t be contacted.

Whether or not the reporter submitted the report anonymously, all information remains confidential.

Respondent and witnesses interviewed

The respondent is interviewed, along with any witnesses named in the report (if required).

The respondent is offered wellness support.

Decision made

After all parties have been interviewed, a decision is made on how to address the concern. Incidents of mistreatment or unprofessionalism are categorized based on the severity of the allegations. Where circumstances permit, a staged approach is used to correct the behaviour and prevent recurrence.

In the Faculty of Medicine, the following adapted Vanderbilt approach is used:

• Informal “cup of coffee” conversations: Minor allegations of unprofessional behaviour are managed with informal chats, typically without any need for formal documentation.
• Level 1 — awareness interventions: A single low-severity incident of inappropriate behaviour is addressed through confidential discussions between the respondent and someone with supervisory responsibilities (e.g., program director, site supervisor). This is a non-punitive awareness intervention. The incident is documented, but the documentation isn’t typically shared outside the unit or department.
• Level 2 — guided intervention by authority: If inappropriate behaviour is of moderate severity, or a pattern of inappropriate behaviour has emerged, the behaviour is addressed through documented confidential discussions between the respondent and someone with supervisory responsibilities at a higher level (e.g., chair/chief of division or department, vice-dean of faculty affairs, vice-dean of PGME).
• Level 3 — disciplinary interventions: If there’s no change in behaviour, there’s concern about the quality of patient care and clinical services, or there has been an egregious unprofessional act, a formal investigation process is launched. This formal process may have legal implications (see Section 7 in the Policy on Professionalism for more information).

Decision communicated

The actions to be taken are discussed with the appropriate parties, and confidentiality is maintained. Often, the reporter won’t learn about the specific outcome of the investigation but will be informed that the investigation has been completed and action has been taken (if they didn’t submit the report anonymously). There is no appeal process for the reporter.