Twitter-Zoff – “Bullying against students” – University hospital doctors collect Shitstorm

Adriano Aguzzi, head of the Institute of Neuropathology at the University Hospital Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich, commented on the answers in his students’ pathology exams in a series of tweets on Thursday. Among other things, he wrote that he wanted to commit ritual suicide after an incorrect answer: «Pathology exams, season 1, episode 2. A candidate told me that fibrin consists of fibroblasts. I then tried (unsuccessfully) to commit seppuku with a lancet.”

This does not go down well with the students at the medical faculty: “I find it absolutely unprofessional, inappropriate and disrespectful to comment on students in this way. He obviously takes himself and his subject of pathology far too seriously,” says a medical student who wishes to remain anonymous. The behavior does not correspond to the public office that he holds, according to the 25-year-old.

The post is also the subject of lively discussion on the Jodel app: “I find it tragic that one has the feeling that bullying and public exposure are acceptable. I have no desire to work with such a person or to be subordinate to them, »writes one person. Another user thinks: “I think it’s completely wrong that he publishes such things as an examiner.” Various people are demanding that the university dean’s office cancel Aguzzi’s examination mandate – not least because this is apparently not the first negative comment against his students.

For example, when Aguzzi gave lectures to ETH medical students for the first time in December 2019, he wrote: “As a UZH professor, it pains me to say that the ETH Med students were 1000 times more interested, interactive, attentive and knowledgeable than their colleagues at the University of Zurich.» The tweet has long since been deleted Internet Archive however still available.

Aguzzi has since deleted Thursday’s tweets as well. He also apologized on the platform. “I’m sorry that my pathetic attempt at humor went down so badly,” he said when asked by 20 minutes. He really just wanted to make a joke. “There can only be talk of ‘shaming’ if someone is publicly exposed, which of course I didn’t do.” On the contrary – he gave many top marks and even offered a student a job right after the exam because he was impressed by his knowledge, says Aguzzi.

In his 30 years as an examiner, many of his examinees have had great careers, emphasizes the doctor. “My exams were never unfair. But it’s normal for students to get upset about their professors when they fail the exam.” At the same time, it is also his job not to simply issue a free pass to those people with insufficient knowledge. However, he sees that his tweets could be misinterpreted. “I only have trouble with Twitter,” says Aguzzi. “Maybe I’ll leave it alone soon.”