Professionalism in Social Networking

This blog is hard one to write, but I think it is necessary. I read a few blogs in my spare time . . ok well not really my "spare" time, but you get the point. One that I particularly like is Mothers in Medicine  for the most obvious reason--I am a mother and I am going to be in medicine. But I also like it because they write about issues that women face in the workforce as mothers. Topics such as taking maternity leave, dealing with the children while dealing with the ER patients, and other topics that are more about parenting than medicine. The mothers are all physicians but have different specialities so there are some topics that are specific to certain specialties, which I also like. Somewhere in reading that blog and diverging onto others from there I found my topic for today. Professionalism in Social Networking (as a physician in my case but for others too.)

YIKES!!! A medical student and social networking, and professionalism should not all be in the same sentence. I know. I am guilty too. But the truth is I am aware of the fact that future resident directors and colleagues will be seeing my facebook page and even though I have my security set high, I know that if someone wants to know something about you and it is on the internet it can be found. My sister is an attorney and I have learned that internet content, in many cases, is the secret weapon. Usually, the silver bullet.

The reasons for being careful are obvious. We know that the pictures we post on facebook don't represent our entire lives or our whole being. For instance, when I look at my facebook pictures I see that  in most of them I have been "prepared" for the photo. In other words they aren't of me when I am studying or when I am in class or hanging out at my house all day. No. Those pictures are boring and not attractive to say the least. I also post to my facebook wall frequently about my daily events and goings on , thoughts, and also a lot of scripture and references to my religion. Now, I am not ashamed of my religion or having children/ a family, but I might choose to not disclose this information to a residency director. While relgion and sex and having children are not supposed to factor into the equation, I fear that in some people's minds, whether they admit it or not, does creep into a decision. For instance, if you know that your resident has four children and is married, you might not think too much about it, but what if she was a single parent? Would you question whether she could handle the load? Would you think about what she would do when one of the four, or all of the four, had a virus? And how many sick days will she take vs the candidate without the children?

But it can be followed beyond your resident years, what about when you are physician? Your patients have access to your facebook postings via a friends, friends, sisters photos. The swear words, and half written words and your hatred for drive through wait times, are not what your patients want to know about you. Nor do they need to know if you have a great sex life or a terrible one.

I am guilty of all of these things.

Your patients that want to know that you have more than a good looking physique, and you know how to spell that, the and you. What if your facebook pictures and posts (in txt lingo) don't really say to them, "I am qualified to have your life in my hands"?

That is the point. I think as future physicians we must realize that our patients respect us as doctors and expect us to be "smart" and to know how to treat their illnesses. They have to first trust us in order for us to treat them. We rely heavily on their trust. We need for them to tell us what is going on with them. If we are blogging about X patient and speaking about patients or our job in a negative way on facebook that could negatively affect our practice, and moreover, how our patients view us. We need to command respect, honorability, and trustworthyiness.

Furthermore, when we enter the workforce there are going to be standards that the hospitals and offices we work in have set for us.

I understand this, and I know that my blog and my facebook and my twitter are all open to the public and I need to be reminded of this ever so often.

If you want to know what the American Medical Association's stance is then check it out here. 

So today I challenge my fellow classmates and colleagues to hold to a higher standard in social networking. May you be viewed as you are : Honorable, trustworthy, dependable, respectable with a brilliant, bright mind that has the ability to make the tough chioces when it comes to medicine. I commit to keeping my blogs, facebook, twitter, likdn (and what ever other social networking site that I join) an outward expression of my desire to help others and be deserving of my patients' trust.

Until next time,

Amy Jones, B. Sc.

Future MD.