How to identify medical students at risk of subsequent misconduct?

This small BMJ study suggests the following risk factors for subsequent professional misconduct:

- male sex
- lower socioeconomic background
- early academic difficulties at medical school

59 doctors who had graduated from 8 medical schools in the United Kingdom in 1958-97 and had a proved finding of serious professional misconduct in 1999-2004 (cases) and 236 controls (four for each case) were included in the study.

The findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. Most doctors with risk factors will not come before disciplinary panels.

References:

Risk factors at medical school for subsequent professional misconduct: multicentre retrospective case-control study. BMJ 2010; 340:c2040.

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