Los Angeles-based Keck School of Medicine at USC administrators and students spoke out against university leaders and their hiring process after former dean Rohit Varma, MD, resigned Oct. 5 following reports he allegedly sexually harassed a medical researcher at the institution nearly 15 years ago, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Dr. Varma is the second dean to resign from the university in two years. Former dean Carmen Puliafito, MD, resigned from the position last March. Recent reports suggest Dr. Puliafito allegedly engaged in drug misuse while serving as dean.
The medical school reportedly held a town hall meeting on campus Friday, which was attended by university administrators and Keck medical students, according to the report.
"I really want to talk about the culture that's being propagated at the highest levels of USC leadership ... it seems to be a culture that values money above all else, especially ethics," one student said during the meeting, according to the Los Angeles Times.
To assure students recent scandals would not affect their future job prospects, one administrator reportedly told students during the meeting they would be given written talking points to use during their residency interviews "so [the students] feel like [they'll] have a little security in [their] back pocket," the report states.
Dr. Varma announced his resignation to the campus community Oct. 5. In a separate statement to the Los Angeles Times Oct. 6, Dr. Varma said: "While I am disappointed that I will no longer be serving as dean of the Keck School of Medicine, I am proud of the many accomplishments I have made together with students, residents, the staff and faculty of both the Keck School and the USC Roski Eye Institute and look forward to continuing my work at USC as a member of the faculty."
USC disciplined Dr. Varma in 2003 after a medical school fellow filed a complaint against him claiming she had been sexually harassed by the former dean during a trip to an ophthalmology conference in 2002.
A university spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times Friday the university's investigation into the incident with Dr. Varma "led to new disclosures of employment incidents that caused [USC] to lose confidence in [Dr. Varma's] ability to lead, according to the report.
USC Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael W. Quick, PhD, wrote in a letter to the campus community Friday Laura Mosqueda, MD, professor of family medicine and geriatrics, associate dean of primary care and the chair of the department of family medicine at Keck, will serve as interim dean until the university appoints a permanent replacement, the report states.
To read the full report, click here.