In the wake of changing norms and greater understandings
surrounding sexual violence, there have been several recent
high-profile claims of sexual assault against physicians –
including Allan Gordon, a neurologist and director of the Wasser
Pain Management Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Gordon has been
accused of sexually assaulting several women in the course of his
medical practice.
Trust is at the core of the intimate doctor-patient
relationship, and public trust in physicians is vital to the
integrity of the healthcare systems. When a doctor sexually abuses
a patient, both the individual trust surrounding the particular
relationship, and the public trust in the medical profession, are
seriously violated. The harm done to the individual patient can be
life-altering, and can have enduring effects.
