A senior surgeon who sparked controversy after telling aspiring female doctors to go along with sexual abuse at work for the sake of their careers , has said she stands by her advice . In an ABC radio interview on Friday , Dr Gabrielle McMullin , a top vascular surgeon in Sydney , said sexism is so rife among male surgeons in Australian hospitals that young women would do best to grin and bear it . Her comments follow a warning she issued to young women at Sydney 's Parliament House on Friday , during the launch of a book she co-authored on gender equality . '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 said . Sydney vascular surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin says sexism is so rife among surgeons in Australia that young woman who want a career in medicine would do best to 'comply ' At the launch of 'Pathways to Gender Equality in Australia ' on Friday , Dr McMullin advised female trainees to avoid putting themselves in vulnerable situations . But giving in to unwanted sexual advances is easier than pursuing perpetrators , she warned , because the sexism is so entrenched . Dr McMullin told ABC 's AM program the story of Dr Caroline Tan , a young doctor who won a sexual harassment case in 2008 against a surgeon who forced himself on her while she was training at a Melbourne Hospital . Dr Tan did n't tell anyone what had happened until the surgeon started giving her reports that were so bad they threatened the career she had worked so hard for . But McMullin warns complaining to the supervising body is the 'worst thing ' trainees could do . 'Despite that victory , she has never been appointed to a public position in a hospital in Australasia , ' she said of the case . '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 . ' 'Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex on this night ' . Dr McMullin , who contributed a chapter titled 'Women in Medicine : Sisters doing it for themselves ' to a new book on gender equality , has stood by her comments warning aspiring female medics to comply if approached for sex in the workplace . Dr McMullin 's comments have been roundly criticised by others in the medical profession , women 's rights and sexual abuse support groups as 'appalling . ' The president of the Australian Medical Association of Victoria , Dr Tony Bartone , 'strongly disagrees ' with Dr McMullin 's advice . 'This old view of acceptance needs to be eradicated , ' he told Fairfax media . 'Sexual assault is a crime and will not be tolerated by our society . The medical profession is not exempt from this maxim . ' Despite the attacks , Dr McMullin stood by her comments on Saturday , saying her advice was practical and true , and it was offered because she is 'so frustrated with what is going on . ' The public response on social media has been mixed , with many in the community expressing dismay at the remarks . 'We live in a world where we want our girls to have an education so they can have a career and they can look after themselves independently . I sure am saddened by these comments , ' wrote one facebook user . Many social media users are angry at Dr McMullin 's comments and have taken to Facebook to express their disgust . But responses from the community have been mixed . But many others have applauded Dr McMullin for drawing attention to the pervasive nature of sexual harassment at work . ' I think the problem is that she 's probably right . This behaviour is not limited to surgeons , it pervades so many professional fields , ' writes one Facebook user . 'Do n't shoot the messenger , fix the situation ! ' said another . 'If anyone would know how things work in that system , it would be someone in her position . ' Many Facebook users have also come out in support of Dr McMullin for exposing the sexism . Dr McCullin has told Fairfax she 's received many phone calls since Friday from women to say 'thank you . ' 'It 's been hidden and suppressed for so long and it '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 , ' she said .
Dr McMullinGabrielle McMullin has been criticised for telling aspiring female surgeons they should put up with unwanted sexual advances at work . Despite criticism from the medical industry and women 's rights groups , Dr Gabrielle McMullin says she stands by her 'pragmatic ' advice because it 's true . Her comments follow the launch of a book she co-authored on gender equality and come ahead of International Women 's Day on March 8 .