Dr. Julian Mitton faced stringent regulatory proceedings. But why? Find out the answer below:
Who is Dr. Julian Mitton?
Dr. Julian Mitton, MD, is a general internist and addiction medicine specialist who also serves as a clinical assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He attended medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and finished his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Julian also holds an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health and a postdoctoral fellowship in implementation science and health services research from Harvard Medical School.
He is a well-known author and researcher. Julian has previously worked in several clinical settings, including as a general care physician at a community health center, with the Indian Health Service, and as an addiction medicine expert at an academic quaternary care hospital.
Mass. Medical board votes to remove doctor’s license due to sexually provocative messages
Dr. Julian Mitton’s medical license was suspended by a state medical board after he unlawfully used information about patients while simultaneously demanding photographs and texting the patient “sexually inappropriate text messages.”
As reported in a press release, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine acted against Dr. Julian Mitton at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, voting to revoke his license in a “Final Decision & Order.”
According to the board, Mitton allegedly texted a patient and attempted to persuade her that he knew the lady using information from her physician. They also talked about Mitton requesting photographs from the patient while sending her sexually provocative texts and a sexually explicit photo of himself.
The declaration claims that Mitton has had a medical license to operate in Massachusetts since June 2016. He most recently worked at Massachusetts General Hospital until signing a “Voluntary Agreement Not to Practice Medicine” in October 2019. According to U.S. News & World Report, Mitton is an expert in internal medicine.
Statistics of worker abuse and female harassment in the healthcare industry of the US
Victims of sexual abuse and harassment frequently go unrecognized and unheard, although the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that it affects one-third of all women globally. In a 2017 study of American women, 54% stated they had received “unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances,” while 95% said it went unreported.
The case of Dr. Julian Mitton isn’t an isolated incident.
What distinguishes sexual assault from sexual harassment? What about improper sexual behavior?
Sexual harassment, generally considered a civil infraction but isn’t necessarily, is when unwanted sexual conduct creates a hostile environment. Sexual assault is a crime that involves non-consensual sexual touch or penetration. The word “sexual misconduct” is used broadly to refer to a range of sexual actions, and the definition might vary based on the situation and the applicable rules, including harassment.
A survey of academic medical faculty members in the United States found that 30%-40% of women in health care had experienced sexual harassment and those who complain or report it risk negative consequences in their careers. Furthermore, 60% of medical students and trainees experienced sexual harassment. A significant number of people, however, failed to report the incidents.
Sexual harassment is defined by WHO and its partner organizations as “any not wanted, unreciprocated, and unwelcome sexual behavior that is disrespectful to the person involved and leads that person to feel threatened, humiliated, or embarrassed.” Most nurses have experienced unsolicited approaches, sexually oriented comments, or inappropriate jokes, as well as unwanted physical contact at some point during their careers.
Based on one research, nursing employees aged 20-30, are more likely to be sexually harassed than their middle-aged colleagues, aged 40 and older. Higher-educated nurses are more likely to submit a sexual harassment complaint. According to the study, a higher educational degree may be connected with detecting and reporting sexual harassment more frequently.
Although sexual harassment is widespread, these research and surveys demonstrate that nurses are hesitant to disclose incidences of abuse, particularly when it concerns their patients. Nurses are taught to avoid showing disgust at a patient’s health state, actions, or unusual happenings.
We’ve been taught to accept some patient behaviors, but being a professional nurse does not include tolerating undesirable or improper actions. Unfortunately, nurses nowadays lack the required tools and resources to be able to take action when confronted with sexual harassment instances.
After graduating from medical school, specialists continue to observe that male and female doctors are treated differently. Women surgeons are punished more severely than males for poor patient outcomes, according to a study on referral patterns published in 2017. Women who become pregnant while undergoing training are regarded less favorably than other trainees.
According to data from Medscape, women earn, on average, $36,000 to $96,000 less per year than males after training, even in traditionally female-dominated professions like pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. Over half of female physicians who take maternity leave have a salary loss of over $10,000 as a result of their absence, according to research studies.
Physicians have a higher frequency of issues while pregnant than nonphysicians because they often cannot change their work schedules before birth. Men may, of course, also become the targets of harassment. However, women are far more likely than males to experience workplace harassment, particularly minority or transgender women. And in the medical field, abusive treatment affects more than just doctors; it also affects nurses, physical therapists, physician’s assistants, and other healthcare professionals.
According to several studies, patients treated by women already experience greater success than those treated by males. If women didn’t have to deal with everyday harassment, just think of how much healthier our patients would be.
Where is Dr. Julian Mitton right now after the incident?
He is presently residing in San Francisco, California, according to his most recent interview. He says in this interview that he works from home before going for a run in California’s Golden Gate Park after dropping off his son at school.
Conclusion
Finally, we would want to explain to you why Dr. Julian Mitton’s medical license was revoked. Julian Mitton’s medical license was suspended by a state medical board after he unlawfully used information about patients while simultaneously demanding photographs and texting the patient “sexually inappropriate text messages.”
As reported in a press release, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine acted against Dr. Julian A. Mitton at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, voting to revoke his license in a “Final Decision & Order.”
According to the board, Mitton allegedly texted a patient and attempted to persuade her that he knew the lady using information from her physician. They also talked about Mitton requesting photographs from the patient while sending her sexually provocative texts and a sexually explicit photo of himself.
The declaration claims that Mitton has had a medical license to operate in Massachusetts since June 2016. He most recently worked at Massachusetts General Hospital until signing a “Voluntary Agreement Not to Practice Medicine” in October 2019. According to U.S. News & World Report, Mitton is an expert in internal medicine.
According to a poll of academic medical faculty members conducted in the United States, 30% to 40% of women working in the healthcare industry reported experiencing sexual harassment, and those who do so risk having their careers impacted. Additionally, 60% of medical trainees and students said being sexually harassed. Women who are patients in such hospitals also require protection from doctors like Dr. Julian Mitton. However, a sizable portion of people chose not to report the incidents.
WHO and its affiliate organizations describe sexual harassment as “any not wanted, unreciprocated, and unwelcome sexual behavior that is disrespectful to the person involved and leads that person to feel threatened, humiliated, or embarrassed.” At some time in their careers, the majority of nurses have uninvited advances, sexually explicit remarks or jokes, as well as unwelcome physical contact.
It is critical to penalize individuals like Dr. Julian Mitton who believe they can do anything they want and get away with it. Worker abuse and sexual harassment charges are increasing in the US healthcare sector.
This article is excellent. This is an eye-opener. We must pay attention to such issues. It is hard to believe that a doctor who is there to care for his patients and whose job is to cure them of their pain is mentally torturing them by harassing them.
I am really happy knowing that this doctor’s license is revoked. People like him deserve very severe punishment for their crimes. This is a matter of women’s safety. We should never take such an important issue lightly.
This is nice that his license got revoked but this is not enough. He also must get punished for all his crimes and that to a harsh punishment so that others could also learn that they can not be saved after harassing a female patient or worker.
The media must expose doctors like him because many people who are unaware of doctors like him can be harassed, and if the media displays the reality of doctors like him, more people will become aware of it and will be able to deal with such situations more effectively.
Government should address this issue. This is a very big issue. There is so much rise in female harassment in the US healthcare industry. The government should take strong action against such doctors who are making it hard for women to work.
Female patients have to go through so much mental stress because of perverts like this doctor. This is not at all acceptable. He should get a very harsh punishment. It’s good that his license has already been revoked but that’s not enough.
It is hard to believe that a physician who has the responsibility of curing his patients is the reason for their mental trauma. This is just getting out of hand. There have been so many cases of harassment against women in the healthcare industry. Women have to be extra careful always even when visiting a doctor for treatment.
This is sad that so many female workers have to go through such harassment in the workplace. This is wrong and the medical authority should take action against this surgeon for harassing female patients.