I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.
I enjoy using social media (SoMe). These social communications-based, user-generated platforms part of Web 2.0 can be a great way to eat up time while scrolling mindlessly through funny posts, “how-to” cooking videos, or find breaking news updates (while being mindful of source reputation, of course). In medicine, SoMe can be an exceptional tool to combat medical misinformation, evolve …
Social media: Striking a balance for physicians and parents
We live in an always-on, information-overloaded, highlight-reel, echo-chamber world. Medical practices are increasingly relying on mobile applications and social media for communication, service promotion, and education. How can we balance social media and device use—arguably imperative activities for many of us—with the other things in life that matter? And how can we, physicians using these programs both personally and professionally, serve as role models for our families and communities?
I recently …
Social media’s impact on mental health [PODCAST]
Why building your social media following is critical to your practice’s success
Scrolling through social media, you might come to believe that it’s only for models, foodies, and cute dogs. While these types of accounts are certainly popular, the truth of the matter is that social media is a powerful tool you can use to propel your practice forward. With it, you can create meaningful content that changes lives, gain a loyal band of followers, and, ultimately, bring an incredible amount of …
Surgeon General’s warning: the dark side of social media on children’s mental health
It’s disheartening to see the escalated trend of mental health challenges in children and teens, an issue that’s becoming more and more prevalent. Daily, we encounter tales of parents grappling with their children’s emotional struggles, from a professional mom taking a career hiatus to aid her anxious daughter to a dad watching his previously thriving son grapple with addiction, leading to a tragic school dropout. These are not isolated incidents …
Physician burnout: the impact of social media on mental health and the urgent need for change
Burnout is an increasingly common phenomenon affecting approximately 63 percent of physicians. The etiology is multifactorial, with excessive workloads leading to sleep deprivation and curtailed self-care. Social media is a significant contributor to burnout that we easily overlook.
Perhaps we’re looking for an escape on social media, but is more screen time what we really need?
How does social media use contribute to burnout?
Let’s face it; social media is a time vacuum. …
From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine
In a growing social media world population, one cannot ignore the technological invasion of the medical world. From the discovery of penicillin to electronic medical records and the digital health revolution, real medical revolutions are not too many.
However, social media is disrupting the medical ecosystem and how we practice medicine. Information to the public is moving from a “push system,” where the teacher or the publisher decides what information to …
KevinMD interview by Cory Calendine, MD [PODCAST]
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On this special episode, I’m on the other side of the microphone. It’s an honor to be interviewed by Cory Calendine, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with a tremendous social media presence. Visit him on Instagram …
KevinMD on the Stay Off My Operating Table podcast
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In this special episode, KevinMD is on the other side of the microphone as he’s interviewed by cardiothoracic surgeon Philip Ovadia and patient advocate Jack Heald, originally aired on the Stay Off My Operating Table podcast. …
KevinMD on PermanenteDocs Chat [PODCAST]
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In this special episode, KevinMD is on the other side of the microphone as he’s interviewed by Dr. Alex McDonald, originally aired as a PermanenteDocs Chat presented by The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente.
He shares his …
On the internet, you are looking for something to make you angry
Back on the internet, you are looking for something to make you angry. It’s a habit you picked up as a researcher, stuck in your lab until sunset, walking home to those empty walls. It’s one you’ve kept as a medical student.
It’s always the most belligerent takes that ignite you. The ones that leap to the front line, waving old middle school science like it’s pure, unshifting truth. It needles …
You are what you click: Transform your social media experience [PODCAST]
“Confidence and humility are strongly related, but one arises when we focus on self, and the other arises when we focus on others. However, each attribute can become unhealthy when it becomes too extreme, or when we lose the perspective of the other attribute. In the case of confidence, we …
Personal attacks and sexual harassment of physicians on social media [PODCAST]
“This survey study examines the self-reports of personal attacks and sexual harassment of physicians through social media outlets. A total of 108 physicians (23.3%) reported being personally attacked on social media, with no significant difference between female and male physicians. In contrast, women were significantly more likely than men to report online sexual …
How to balance confidence and humility online
An excerpt from You Are What You Click: How Being Selective, Positive, and Creative Can Transform Your Social Media Experience.
Confidence and humility are strongly related, but one arises when we focus on self, and the other arises when we focus on others. However, each attribute can become unhealthy when it becomes too extreme, or when we lose the perspective of …
How physicians can engage on social media
During a casual scroll through social media, I often hear the voice of my friend and fellow pediatrician warning, “Do not engage!”
Generally speaking, this is almost always the correct advice. The rise of various social media platforms, the ability to rapidly share information and disinformation, the growing culture of doing one’s own “research,” and the apparent difficulty in separating reputable from non-reputable sources online has created the perfect storm. In …
The weaponization of professionalism
It’s not every day you see hundreds of doctors flooding Twitter with pictures of themselves in swimwear. The trending hashtag #MedBikini arose when health care professionals began posting in solidarity to demonstrate how maintaining a life outside of the clinic, shockingly, does not detract from one’s merit as a physician. In fact, it makes them more human.
This past week, an article published in the Journal of Vascular …
Sharing mental health issues on social media
Susanna Harris was sitting in her lab class for her graduate program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she received an email that told her she had failed what she describes as “the most important exam in grad school,” the doctoral qualifying exam. She took the rest of the day off, went home, and baked cookies.
Harris continued with her regular schedule: lab, work, home, repeat. Everything …
When physicians are cyberbullied: an interview with ZDoggMD
Pseudoscience hate groups of all kinds are targeting physicians who openly advocate for public health issues. This is a favorite intimidation tactic used by anti-vaccine activists: When pediatrician colleague Jen Trachtenberg posted a video for National Immunization Awareness Month 2018, she was blasted with thousands of horrible comments and fake online reviews. I wrote a blog post in her defense, and immediately, I was similarly targeted, …
How social media can help or hurt your health care career
This article is sponsored by Careers by KevinMD.com.
We live in a time when social media isn’t just about sharing pictures or ideas with a close circle of friends and family. Between our Facebook statuses, our Twitter profiles and especially our LinkedIn pages, we are always public, all the time — no matter what your privacy settings may have you believe.
For …
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