The Silent Struggle: Addressing the Crisis of Female-on-Female Bullying in Medicine

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In a crowded conference room at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, the professional veneer of the medical elite momentarily softened. During the 2025 Women in Medicine Summit (WIMS), female physicians—from residents navigating their first years to seasoned department heads—gathered to discuss a topic that remains one of the industry’s most guarded secrets: workplace bullying.

While the “boys’ club” of medicine has long been scrutinized, this session focused on a more complex and visceral phenomenon: “Mean Girls in Medicine.”

The session, led by Breanne Jacobs, MD, a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, opened a floodgate of testimonies. Some women spoke of being systematically pushed out of prestigious roles; others detailed toxic environments sanctioned by leadership. Surprisingly, many of the most painful accounts centered not on male colleagues, but on female supervisors and peers.

“I’m not an expert in bullying,” Dr. Jacobs told the assembly. “I wanted to highlight an issue I’ve noticed and one that is not talked about enough. Most importantly, I wanted to let others have a space where they could share with each other and know they’re not alone.”

The Scale of the Problem: Statistics and Reality

Bullying in healthcare is often described as an “epidemic,” but recent data suggests the problem is particularly acute for women in academic and clinical settings. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Women’s Health surveyed female physicians in prominent academic roles and found that a staggering 85% of respondents reported experiencing mistreatment during their careers. Most of these incidents were attributed to supervisors.

“This study in itself speaks to the pervasiveness of the problem,” said study co-author Maya Iyer, MD, MEd, an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s in Columbus, Ohio. “It’s one of the few studies that look at the pervasiveness of bullying by gender.”

According to Dr. Iyer’s research:

22% of bullies in academic medicine were identified as female peers.
The majority of bullies remain male superiors or colleagues, yet the psychological impact of female-on-female aggression is often reported as more “visceral” by victims.
Only about 25% of victims in academic settings actually report the bullying, fearing professional retaliation.

Relational Aggression vs. Overt Hostility

The nature of bullying often differs by gender. While male bullying is frequently characterized by overt aggression or “shouting matches,” female-on-female bullying often takes the form of relational aggression.

“Women bullying is often characterized by social and psychological exclusion,” explained Dr. Jacobs. This “insidious” hostility includes:

Withholding essential resources like administrative support or research data.
Exclusion from high-level meetings or social networking that leads to promotion.
Spreading rumors in both private and public forums.

This exclusion ensures the target has no “seat at the table,” forcing them to focus on survival rather than professional thriving.

The “Queen Bee” Myth vs. Systemic Reality

For decades, the “Queen Bee” syndrome—the idea that women who reach leadership roles distance themselves from other women to maintain the status quo—has been used to explain this toxicity.

However, a 2020 article in The Lancet suggests this behavior may be a byproduct of the environment rather than a personality flaw. When women are only given “token” representation in a male-dominated hierarchy, they may adopt hyper-masculine traits or perceive other women as threats to their hard-won positions.

Interestingly, The Lancet noted that empirical evidence often shows the opposite: when women reach the top in sufficient numbers, they are statistically more likely than men to create supportive networks for their subordinates.

The Cost of “Toughness”

Sometimes, the bullying is masked as professional standard-setting. Rebecca Hellmann, DO, an emergency medicine physician at Weill Cornell Medicine, shared a story regarding pregnancy policies.

While attempting to pass a scheduling policy to protect pregnant residents from high-risk night shifts—which are linked to increased risks of miscarriage—Hellmann found the fiercest opposition came from other women.

“The loudest voice of opposition was coming from other females,” Hellman noted. Arguments like “we’re not made of glass” were used to dismiss the need for safety protocols. “This made me realize how much more important it is to be an advocate for women even if I didn’t share the same experiences as them.”

The Impact on Public Health

The “Mean Girls” culture isn’t just a HR issue; it is a public health crisis. The Workplace Bullying Institute’s 2024 survey found that while 18% of bullying was woman-on-woman, 51% of all bullying targets were women.

When highly trained physicians are bullied, the consequences include:

Brain Drain: Physicians leaving the field or changing roles, worsening the national doctor shortage.
Mental Health Decline: Increased rates of burnout, depression, and anxiety among providers.
Patient Safety: Burned-out and marginalized doctors are more prone to errors, directly impacting patient care.

Strategies for Change

Breaking the cycle requires both individual courage and institutional overhaul. Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Hellmann suggest several pathways forward:

Professional Resistance: Addressing the bully respectfully but firmly. “You don’t have to be quiet,” Dr. Jacobs advised.
Amplification: Leaders should intentionally “clear a path” for others and amplify the voices of junior female colleagues in meetings.
Accountability: Institutions must believe those who report mistreatment. Currently, the “short fuse” culture of medicine—driven by exhaustion and burnout—often allows bullies to escape accountability.
Coaching and Training: Recognizing that many bullies were once victims themselves, creating a generational cycle of “hazing” that must be unlearned.

Ultimately, the goal of medicine is patient care. When the internal culture of a hospital becomes a battlefield, the patients are the ones who lose. As Dr. Hellmann concluded, “As I got into different rooms and meetings, I had this need to make sure that women felt supported.”

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before making any health-related decisions or changes to your treatment plan. The information presented here is based on current research and expert opinions, which may evolve as new evidence emerges.