It set up a panel of experts - including two New Zealanders, one of them former High Court Justice Dame Judith Potter - to investigate bullying and related problems in the profession of surgery in New Zealand and Australia.
Their report and related research has been made public today.
"Now that the extent and impact of these issues is clear, there can be no turning back," said the panel's chairman, Rob Knowles.
"We have been shocked by what we have heard. The time for action is now."
That view was shared by Dr Cathy Ferguson, a member of the panel and a New Zealand ear, nose and throat specialist.
The ABC quoted shocking stories of abuse from the report, including:
• "I was expected to provide sexual favours in his consulting rooms in return for tutorship."
• "Throughout the course of my training, I have been sworn at and criticized,"
• "I was subject to belitting, intimidation and public humiliation."
The college said today it accepted in full the draft report of the advisory panel and its recommendations.
College president Professor David Watters apologised on behalf of all college members - fellows, trainees and international medical graduates - to all who had suffered discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment from surgeons.
Of the 48 per cent of fellows, trainees and international medical graduates who responded to a survey commissioned by the panel, 49 per cent reported having been subjected to discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment.
Dr Ferguson said the college embarked on the investigation after an Australian woman surgeon was quoted in the media in March talking about "a case that had happened in Australia in 2007 or 2008. She said her advice to female trainees was that if they were asked to give a blow-job, just do it and put up with it.
"It caused an outcry."
"The [Expert Advisory] Group was formed partly as a response to that."
Dr Ferguson said the group found similar proportions of survey respondents in Australia and New Zealand reported bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment
"It wasn't more or less prevalent in New Zealand than it is in Australia."
She said the findings were shocking and disturbing.
"The statistics were - I think we were a little bit surprised at the prevalence of discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment."
"The sexual harassment part of it was a small amount, around 7 per cent of people reported it. That was very shocking but also some of the terrible effects for people from bullying was equally as bad; some of the bullying that's gone on has been quite nasty by the sound of it."
Mr Knowles, the Expert Advisory Group chairman, said the college must be bold and embrace the opportunity to make lasting, positive change."
The draft report calls for action in three areas: culture and leadership, surgical education, and complaints management.
The college says the report highlights gender inequality as a central issue that must be addressed
"The draft report calls for increased transparency, independent scrutiny and external accountability to be fully integrated into [college] operations."
Dr Ferguson said part of the solution would be to take a stand against bad behaviour - "Not looking at it in silence, but calling people out and saying, 'This is not acceptable'."
In a report for the experts group, researchers said:
"Multiple examples were provided of recurring episodes of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours or other conduct of a sexual nature which humiliated or offended female surgeons/trainees. Sexual jokes and lewd comments were experienced, mostly from colleagues, but also from male patients.
"Some females, looking back at their time as trainees, felt vulnerable and powerless when propositioned by senior male surgeons. They reported feeling an obligation to provide sexual favours to supervisors in order to maintain their place in surgical practice. There are stories of acceptance at the time, as a 'necessary evil' with subsequent feelings of regret and shame. The impact of the sexual harassment was varied, ranging from annoyance at having to deal with it to utter despair and feelings of worthlessness.
These are some examples of the sexual harassment and bullying that participants in the research told of:
"I was expected to provide sexual favours in his consulting rooms in return for tutorship."
"He made physical sexual advances. I snapped and thought, I'm sick of being treated like a piece of fun who happens to be good at her job."
"I was propositioned in different hospitals by different surgeons."
"I felt sure I was marked down because I didn't respond to my supervisor's sexual advances."
"I was told I was hard to work with but would be good to sleep with."
"The trainee was told to go outside and take his life. This sort of behaviour was not out of the ordinary."
"He deliberately knocked my hand then yelled at me saying I was incompetent."
"Throughout the course of my training I have been sworn at and criticised."
Other findings included:
• 54 per cent of trainees and 45 per cent of fellows less than 10 years post-fellowship reported being subjected to bullying.
• 71 per cent of hospitals reported discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment in their hospital in the last five years, with bullying the most frequently reported issue.
• 39 per cent of fellows, trainees and international medical graduates reported bullying; 18 per cent reported discrimination; 19 per cent reported workplace harassment; and 7 per cent sexual harassment.
• The problems exist across all surgical specialties.
• Senior surgeons and surgical consultants are reported as the primary source of these problems.
