The Dartmouth Debacle: Why the culture of medical education needs to change

On Becoming a Healer

In a widely reported incident, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine accused, suspended and expelled medical students for cheating based on faulty data -- and then retracted the decision amidst a large public backlash. During the episode students were allegedly given only 2 minutes to defend themselves and were encouraged to plead guilty. When they complained about the administration online, the school passed a policy on social media that would ban some forms of communication. In this episode, Saul (@SaulWeiner) and Stefan (@StefanKertesz) discuss whether what happened at Dartmouth was an anomaly or emblematic of a dysfunctional and even toxic culture within medical education. And, to the extent that it is the latter, they consider how physicians can be scarred and stunted in ways that diminish their potential as healers. Finally, they reflect on what it would take to bring about transformative change.