The AMA has written to doctors encouraging victims of sexual harassment to speak out following shocking revelations that a female surgeon had advised her trainees to “comply” with unwanted sexual advances from colleagues rather than jeopardise their careers.

Speaking at the launch of her book vascular surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullen said sexual harassment in hospitals was rife.

She said she told trainees that giving in to sexual harassment from male colleagues was an easier path than reporting the harassment.

“What I tell my trainees is that, if you are approached for sex, probably the safest thing to do in terms of your career is to comply with the request,” she told the ABC in an interview after the launch.

Speaking to the ABC radio today AMA President Brian Owler said that young female professionals, whether they’re in medicine or any other workplace, should not keep quiet about these issues.

“We have to tackle this problem head-on and the only way we’re ever going to be able to do that is if people speak up. ”

“It’s up to all in the profession to make sure that we look after our – particularly our junior colleagues, but in fact all of our colleagues, to make sure that these incidents don’t happen and this culture is not allowed to continue,” he said.