A Tasmanian doctor who kissed and inappropriately touched a medical student during her rural placement has been suspended for a month and banned from supervising students for a year.
Dr Cyril Swe Latt, 56, admitted to repeatedly engaging in physical conduct with the international student during her four-week placement at St Marys General Practice in early 2020.
The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found his behaviour amounted to professional misconduct, rejecting his legal team’s argument that it should be classified as the lesser charge of unprofessional conduct.
The tribunal said his actions were “a breach of trust and a violation of professional boundaries”, particularly given the “power imbalance” between doctor and student.
The misconduct took place between February 10 and March 2020, including incidents where Dr Latt held the student’s hand while driving and touched her head, shoulders and hands while in the clinic. He claimed it was normal and friendly behaviour.
On March 7 at Dr Latt’s home, after the pair had certified a patient’s death, he kissed the student twice – once without her consent and once with.
The student ended her placement a week early and raised concerns about Dr Latt’s mental health and behaviour with her university coordinators.
The Medical Board of Australia pushed for a longer three-month suspension, pointing to the student’s vulnerability as someone who had previously failed clinical placements and was anxious about graduation.
“The board says that the respondent not only was in a position of power, but that part of his role was meant to be teaching students the ethics of general practice,” the tribunal noted.
Dr Latt’s legal team highlighted his diagnosis of major depression and the extreme workload he was under at the time. The tribunal heard he was also the sole GP in St Marys, responsible for more than 1,800 patients, while also covering emergency department shifts.
Medical reports confirmed he was suffering from significant mental health issues during the period in question. He has since completed psychiatric treatment and undertaken ethics training.
The tribunal handed down a reprimand, a one-month suspension and a 12-month ban from supervising medical students, describing the penalties as necessary to uphold standards and serve as a deterrent.
“The profession, the public and medical students in particular should be confident that students who undertake placements to learn about medical practice will be treated with respect,” the tribunal said.
Dr Latt left St Marys in 2023 citing burnout and is now reported to be practising in the Midlands towns of Oatlands and Campbell Town. His suspension began on May 26.
