22/08/2026
Mob Justice in Our Medical Institutions
Mob justice has a subtle, indirect character when it comes to our medical schools and hospitals. Persistent gossip and character assassination are among its manifestations. It has existed, largely unchanged, in our medical schools as part of student evaluation since the birth of medical education in Ethiopia.
Medical colleges and healthcare institutions have an unwavering wisdom of seniority—the respect for experience, knowledge transfer, hierarchical progression, and the chain of command that harmonizes skills and work practices. These principles have been maintained and respected for generations.
Sometimes, however, this seniority is abused because of personal characteristics, conflicts, or ill intentions from some individuals. As a means of harmonizing workflow, seniority is an important principle in medicine, and it truly matters. Senior decisions, appointments, schedules, and orders are 'divine rules' within the medical environment.
Whenever a senior physician gossips, assassinates someone's character, discredits a medical student or resident, or loses interest in certain individuals or activities, this otherwise constructive system can become distorted and begin to function like mob justice.For example, a medical student may use unusual or funny expressions while taking a patient's history. A senior physician may become annoyed and go around telling others how incompetent or "crippled" that student is. This form of mob justice may eventually push the student to request withdrawal or even leave medical school altogether.
Some surgeons may start gossiping about someone's political stance in the operating room as part of what we might call "መንገድ ማካሄጃ ወሬ"—informal gossip used to influence how others perceive that person. Once such gossip spreads throughout the medical community, a person who has no idea what is being said about them may gradually become isolated from their colleagues. This can lead to depression, social withdrawal, and reduced effectiveness at work.
A senior physician may persistently gossip about a colleague throughout the town until the other person eventually closes their clinic and leaves the medical market altogether. Because of gossip, a doctor may even be accused or arrested for something they did not do, forced to abandon their career, lose their residency program, or experience severe psychological distress, including addiction or a su***de attempt.
A cadre (few) of a single profession may deny one's presence in them. They feel unsafe of him removing their fame, business or position. They raise up for him stab him in gossip. They talk every negative of him for everyone in every corner. If they are capable,they push him to resign. If they couldnt do that, they will accuse him of technical mistakes and even expose him for arrest.
Mob justice and its implications within the medical community are probably underestimated and, most importantly, can disproportionately affect humble, capable, and genuinely committed healthcare professionals.
Lets help each other abstaining from mob justice and stress on improving ourselves in life, career and good manner.
✍️By; Dr Ahmed Abebe- Urology Excellence Hub
