Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Young physicians should be on Twitter. Here’s why.

Brian J. Secemsky, MD
Social media
November 22, 2014
Share
Tweet
Share

shutterstock_202781149

You — a medical student, resident physician or newly-minted medical attending — are late in the game.  Sure, you appropriately hopped onto Facebook during your first few years of college, only to rightly disengage around the advent of newsfeeds and cover photos.  You passively signed up to LinkedIn last winter only to remain passively aware that your profile exists unfettered and un-updated in the inter-web ether.

Despite this predictable navigation into online social media, you remain steadfast in avoiding the Twittersphere.

Well, you’re missing out.

Like you, I initially thought Twitter to be an online community entirely made up of famous celebrities tweeting how normal they are and normal people tweeting how celebrated they are.  All within 140 characters of smushed words with no vowels.   I get the preconceived distaste.

But I’m telling you, there exists an entirely different world within twitter that you, as a young medical professional, should get involved with.

Knowledge

I know a little about the life you lead.  Coming from a family of doctors and training as a resident physician, I have a reasonable understanding of your daily grind.  I’m also sure of one thing: despite your many interests in health care, there remains little time each day to keep abreast of your field’s current research and stay updated on national health care issues.

Here’s where Twitter becomes useful.

Unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, Twitter allows for you to follow most people online without requiring an invitation or acceptance from fellow users.  It takes an easy click to follow professional journals, health policy foundations and/or health care leaders without feeling creepy or fearing rejection from the community.  (Trust me, it feels good to be followed, no one will mind.)

By choosing a good mix of these medical profiles, especially those that tweet links to high-yield content, you are able to create an individually-tailored and constantly updated curated source of medical information, freely available at any time

Networking

As part of the newest generation of physicians, I am constantly bombarded with fascinating career interests and tend to dream big.  Whether theses extra-clinical projects involve working as a physician writer or engaging in health policy and patient advocacy, I am usually left with more questions than answers when it comes to contemplating prospective career paths.

Especially when it comes to more specialized professional interests that encompass only a handful of field leaders, Twitter offers a virtual, often tight-knit community that paves way to directly connect with established members despite geographical and professional distance.  It is not unheard of for project collaborations and formal mentorships to form from simple interactions via the Twitter community.

Identity

As patients and medical providers increasingly use online sources for information and support, Twitter offers a unique opportunity for young medical professionals like yourself to voice opinions and be heard in ways that otherwise would be challenging at such an early level of medical training.

Having a venue such as Twitter to display professional accomplishments, engage in discussion over important health issues and curate high-yield health-related content allows medical students and young physicians a way to develop a reputation for professional commitment and advocacy beyond what is seen at the bedside.

Take home point

ADVERTISEMENT

Whether you like it or not, your professional image will likely end up on the internet.  Be it through the increasing patient utility of physician rating websites or your own institution displaying your professional identity and accomplishments, it will be difficult to avoid the online community from having influence in your medical career.

By taking this bull by its horns and integrating yourself online in settings such as Twitter, it is more than possible to take advantage of these virtual communities rather than considering them useless or detrimental to your line of work.

Therefore, fellow young health care professionals, I am eagerly awaiting to learn and engage with you via Twitter.

In no more than 140 characters, please.  Thx.

Brian J. Secemsky is an internal medicine resident who blogs at the Huffington Post.  He can be reached on Twitter @BrianSecemskyMD and his self-titled site, Brian Secemsky MD.  This article originally appeared in LeadDoc.

Image credit: Bloomua / Shutterstock.com

Prev

Transforming primary care to spend extra time with patients

November 22, 2014 Kevin 15
…
Next

Medicaid is Obamacare's sleeping giant

November 22, 2014 Kevin 96
…

Tagged as: Twitter

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Transforming primary care to spend extra time with patients
Next Post >
Medicaid is Obamacare's sleeping giant

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Brian J. Secemsky, MD

  • Discussing the side effects of medications: How can doctors do better?

    Brian J. Secemsky, MD
  • Why physicians should be trained for in-flight emergencies

    Brian J. Secemsky, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The challenge of evidence-based medicine to the new physician

    Brian J. Secemsky, MD

More in Social media

  • First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

    Sara Meyer
  • What teenagers on TikTok are saying about skin care—and why that’s a problem

    Khushali Jhaveri, MD
  • How social media and telemedicine are transforming patient care

    Jalene Jacob, MD, MBA
  • How DrKoop.com rose and fell: the untold story behind the Surgeon General’s startup

    Nigel Cameron, PhD
  • How I escaped the toxic grip of social media

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • Why doctors must fight health misinformation on social media

    Olapeju Simoyan, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How medicine repurposing enables value-based pain management and insomnia therapy

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Meds
    • Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment

      Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib | Physician
    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How medicine repurposing enables value-based pain management and insomnia therapy

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Meds
    • Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment

      Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib | Physician
    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Young physicians should be on Twitter. Here’s why.
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...