I wouldn't say that every school doesnt tolerate med student abuse, even physical. At my school one very emotional (and male if it matters) ob/gyn attending squeezed my upper arm until it hurt, enjoyed hugging me and tell me that he "I love you" (albeit I am a male and he has a family), referred to me as a "dog" and would call me saying "here boy, here boy . . . " Routinely stated in front of other students saying he wouldn't want me to be a surgeon because I didnt know which exam room I walked out of on the first day, made fun of the way I talked, asked me why I don't have any common sense, (i.e. why didn't I cowar when he harassed me and didn't play into to his attempts to make me upset), would have me see the patient then come and announce that the "the doctor is here" and then berrate me in front of the patient, became enraged when I knew the answer to one of his arcane questions that supposedly didn't have an answer, insinuiated that I did poorly on step 1 (didn't), wonder why I did good in front of groups but when there were no witnesses with just him in the room I was doing horribly. Over 20 different times berrated me for greater than 15 minutes after each patient I had to see. Complained to the school and was told that they like to torture students and see how they swim and that I should go into research . . . Other respected ob/gyn wrote really glowing positive things about me i.e. excellent fund of knowledge etc . . . Although it may be narsicism to say this but, if you are talented in an area i.e. surgery, and an attending notices it, they can: A. Give you more interesting work, help you develop your skills further or B. Feel the need to make your life difficult because they feel threatened. Face it medicine, third year isn't about what it should be about i.e. helping patients and learning, it is 45% about learning to cope with harassment, sometimes severe and on a daily basis by attendings and residents who don't have the drive to teach but get theirs kicks out of kicking you.