Asian American Medical Resident on Probation after Alleging Workplace Harassment

An accomplished and outspoken medical resident at Vanderbilt University in Nashville told AsAmnews he’s on probation following a series of tweets about ” bullying” at the university’s Medical Center.

On November 7, Gu tweeted about an incident he says happened earlier this year involving a fellow resident.

1/ Bullying during surgical residency is a serious issue. I was physically assaulted by my chief resident at Vanderbilt hospital.

While I was trying to help my patient, my chief resident elbowed me and knocked me away from my work station. It was beyond humiliating. #MedToo

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) November 8, 2017

He followed that tweet with one about he described as bullying from co-workers.

2/ During this time, the nurses on the Vanderbilt trauma unit would take milk cartons from the garbage can and place them on my desk.

I’m speaking out at the risk of further retaliation because this culture of bullying must end. If we stay silent, the abuse continues. pic.twitter.com/iEYjBz31zz

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) November 8, 2017

He concluded with a tweet about workplace violence.

3/ Workplace violence is completely unacceptable. As physicians, we dedicate our lives to helping others during their most vulnerable moments. We swore a Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. But bullying is an absolute violation of that oath.

We must change this culture immediately.

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) November 8, 2017

AsAmNews contacted the university, but a spokesperson said “we don’t comment on personnel matters.”

Gu declined to share the letter of reprimand he received, but did read portions of it to this reporter over the phone.

The letter he read criticized him for misidentifying his alleged assailant as a chief resident and implying the resident was still with the university. Gu acknowledged the resident has since left the hospital, but maintained his characterization of his co-worker as the chief resident as accurate.

Gu graduated from Stanford University and Duke Medical School. The San Francisco native co-founded the non-profit Ganogen Research Institute which is dedicated to ending the shortage of donor organs. He also is credited with performing the first successful human fetal heart and kidney transplants in immunocompromised rats. The procedure could have deep implications for the treatment of heart and kidney diseases.

Gu’s series of tweets last month is not the first time he has spoken out.

He took a knee in support of NFL players speaking out about racism and his tweet about it went viral.

“When the NFL players took a knee, it resonated with me,” said Gu to AsAmNews. “I was attacked physically and racially assaulted. When I took that take a knee protest, it was a direct response of my personal experience as an Asian American doctor, I’m taking the knee to fight White supremacy.”

I’m an Asian-American doctor and today I #TakeTheKnee to fight white supremacy. pic.twitter.com/69QLjrTShY

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 24, 2017

Gu has also publicly talked about an incident he said happened both inside and outside the parking lot last winter.

A blog he wrote about it was published Sunday by the Globe and Mail, an influential Canadian newspaper.

In the piece, Gu said he arrived at Vanderbilt Hospital when he was flagged down by a man in his 20’s.

Thinking the man needed medical help, he stopped and opened his car door to offer assistance.

He said the man yelled, “Hey,chink, you can’t fuc*ing drive.”

Gu ignored him and proceeded to the hospital but says the man followed him to the 9th floor of the hospital and snatched papers which included confidential patient names from Gu.

He called police, but the man accused Gu of trying to hit him with his car.

Gu pressed charges against the man, but the officer told him he would have to take them both in on misdemeanor charges.

AsAmNews contacted the Vanderbilt Police for comment, but the department immediately referred us to a university spokesperson.

The university said Sunday morning  it was working on a statement and would release it to AsAmNews, but had not yet done so by deadline. We will update this post if and when we receive the statement.

Gu said charges were dropped against him after another resident came forward saying she had a similar incident with the man, who Gu believes also was not charged in his incident.

Gu said it’s important for him to speak out about injustice.

“I feel like I’m in North Korea where speaking out to promote justice is seen as an evil. I’m being punished for that,” said Gu. “Instead of helping me, they are trying to destroy my career. I graduated with top of my class as Stanford and Duke Medical School. I’ve been outspoken on positive issues like fighting racism. Vanderbilt is trying to destroy my career. That is wrong.

“As long as I’m doing the right thing, things will work out at the end. I hope at the end Vanderbilt will understand .”

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