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	A Trinity educated surgeon​​ has hit back at criticism of her advice to female doctors not to report sexual abuse from fellow colleagues.</p>
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	Dr Gabrielle McMullin, a Sydney-based vascular surgeon, stands by her recommendation that young surgical trainees should stay silent and accept unwanted sexual advances.</p>
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	Speaking in a radio interview with ABC on Friday, Dr McMullin said that sexism in the field is so rife in Australia that coming forward could ruin the careers of these young women.</p>
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	Her opinions have prompted strong reaction from several sex abuse and domestic violence advocacy groups, who have deemed her comments &quot;appalling and irresponsible&quot;.</p>
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	&quot;I would have thought highly trained professionals would be able to operate a better system than that,&quot; said a spokeswoman for Victoria&#39;s Centre Against Sexual Assault.</p>
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	&quot;I actually don&#39;t think that&#39;s acceptable advice in this day and age.&quot;</p>
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	Chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria Fiona McCormack also spoke out against the views of the Irish educated surgeon.</p>
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	&quot;It&#39;s a sad indictment on us and the community when this is what women are being advised to do to benefit their career,&quot; she said.</p>
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	However, Dr McMullin, who moved to Australia in 1990, met the criticism with surprise saying the advise came from her &quot;frustration with what is going on&quot;.</p>
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	&quot;It&#39;s been hidden and suppressed for so long and it&#39;s only when it comes out in the open that you can do something about it. So, I guess this is my attempt to air it,&quot; she said.</p>
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	In the ABC interview, Dr McMullin referred to the 2008 case of Dr Caroline Tan who won a sexual harassment case while training as a surgeon in a Melbourne hospital but has never been able to find work at a public hospital in Australasia since.</p>
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	&quot;Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex on this night. And, realistically, she would have been much better to have given him a blow job on that night,&quot; Dr McMullin said in the radio interview.</p>
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	The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons released a brief statement saying there were strict measures in place to deal with harassment and abuse of any kind.</p>
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	&quot;The College actively encourages Trainees and Fellows to come forward in confidence with any such allegations, which will be thoroughly investigated,&quot; a spokesman said.</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/irish-educated-surgeon-under-fire-for-advising-young-female-doctors-to-stay-silent-on-sexual-abuse-31051214.html">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/irish-educated-surgeon-under-fire-for-advising-young-female-doctors-to-stay-silent-on-sexual-abuse-31051214.html</a></p>
