hi, hello and welcome to this week's episode! today i do a deep dive into discussing why social media is (and isn't) bad for medicine. i talk about how it potentially tarnishes the reputation and image of future doctors, how it could lead to issues with confidentiality, but also see the positives (such as improving health resource access to the younger generation). i'd love to hear any feedback - comment on instagram @medicmornings!

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transcript:

Hi guys. Good morning and welcome back to another episode of Medic Mornings. I'm your host Fiona. And today we're going to be talking about professionalism, I not medical student nor a doctor, nor any type of medical professional, but I do have a few opinions on this and it is a tot topic in the interview. So sit back relax and let's talk about it. (Theme music plays) Let's talk about the reasons why it can be appropriate and sometimes cannot be appropriate. The first reason is that it humanizes doctors. So we all know about the covid-19 pandemic. We all know how difficult it was for doctors for all Healthcare professionals to kind of deal with the shortages. Covid-19 has left us with our staff that were so there is going to be smaller Workforce. There's also issues with your medical equipment and drugs, being imported and being cancelled and delayed and whatnot, so that kind of showed a different perspective. So it allows the public to kind of peek behind a curtain, and also kind of makes the TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Med see more mundane, and you can actually see the realistic day-to-day things that doctors actually do all. So, let's talk about the fact that social media has made it easier for students to get access to free medical advice and prospective applicants can actually get in contact with doctors for shadowing opportunities, stuff like that. Second thing about why it's appropriate is I think that it does engage people in Public Health & policy discussions. First off there are so many resources, BBC health, I know a lot of medical students that are on social media. Rachel Southard, Faye Bate, Rafi, Kharma medic, Dr Cellini. I think that's the same there. So many med influencers right now. Do really talk about like for example, the covid-19 thing about the vaccination, it was really interesting to see the medical perspective of it and how their vaccine actually works. And it does improve patient access to health information because they are at the forefront of the scientific discoveries alongside other PhD candidates and people actually working at Pfizer, Johnson's & Johnson's and provide direct information to a specific target audience. For example, to the younger generation and I think that is super important, especially now that social media is more prevalent, it does serve a greater purpose. Let's be for real, okay? No one who's under 20 watches TV anymore, and I feel like just scrolling on your phone scrolling on Tik-Tok scrolling on Instagram. You always see a few doctors that advocate about the recent medical discoveries. We talked about the Nobel Prize a lot and I think that's having doctors on these kind of social media. Definitely improve the engagement and discussion of younger generation in medical topics about why it is appropriate is because it can help develop networking. I'm definitely not a point where I'm actually not working on my LinkedIn because that's for old people, but but I think that having Instagram and having LinkedIn will definitely in the future, set me up for Publications. For example, I definitely want to publish in the future. I want to be more involved in Research In biochemistry and wet lab stuff and that's something I'm super interested in and having Instagram having more followers on whatever tiktok can actually set you up for Success because you meet so many like-minded people. Everyone knows someone and you get to discuss cases and ideas with other people on the recent research development and it is so amazing to have social media that can give us access to that. Okay, one reason why social media might not be appropriate is what we're all thinking and it damages or ruin the professional image that the public has in the medical profession. And there's always going to be that argument. That doctor swearing using profanity having sexual or intoxication images like drugs or alcohol having negative comments on Things that the medical profession usually did not stand for it can definitely do some damage to the public perception of medical industry. And I completely agree with that. There is a certain level of professionalism. Doctors have to adhere to the specially with, you know, the GMC. And as a doctor you're expected to have a lot more responsibility and a lot more accountability for your actions and I completely agree with that. But a lot of it is just that the public expects us to be superhuman. Yeah so public expects us to always be able to save the patient at whatever stage there at whatever progression their illness. Has I think. Honestly the public has such a skewed perception of the scientific advancements that there currently is. I feel like the more I knew about medicine the more I realized oh we really don't know stuff because for example, people have said for years and years now that robots are going to take over our medical industry and that is just simply not the case. There have been technological advancements in Radiology in surgery, but we are nowhere near the point. They're actually going to take our jobs and that is just a fact, like robots, cannot even read an ECG correctly. They cannot read a squiggly line, and I just, it's just insane that the public has this high standard for doctors particular. Honestly, they are just human and they know I have the utmost respect for doctors and the amount of skewed perception of doctor, you know, they're not allowed to party. They're not allowed to drink, they're not allowed to have a work-life balance, it's just so removed from reality. No matter what doctors do. We cannot live up to that standard and social media is an excellent way. If well, if used well too kind of remove those stigmas and to remove those expectations of doctors honestly haven't got theirs on social media that really helps with us. Okay, second reason why it might not be appropriate for a doctor's to have social media is because of confidentiality and confidentiality is essentially, when you maintain the patient's trust by not disclosing their information to anyone else, and that would be outside of your medical practice. For example, you know, your family members of the doctor or just the public. And I think that is my biggest fear. When being involved with social media is accidentally telling someone about a patient. I saw, you know, and it's so difficult as a doctor because you're immersed in a patient environment where there are so many patients and so many cool cases to learn from suddenly, you may find that He posted on social media. About that cool case. You just saw Oh my god. I delivered the baby today, but there were complications and people could actually piece your puzzle pieces together. Patient was in their mid-thirties and they had complications and the baby died. I know that person and, you know, the doctor can be in severe consequences, just because of that one piece of information they gave out and it's so important to not specify too, and also to be most careful of documents and paperwork that you might have on the patients. Okay. Another reason why it can be, problematic is a doctor has social media is because it can be very unprofessional. Especially if a patient reaches out to you on social media privately DM's you or comments in your videos or whatever and if they recognize you in real life and you know it say something inappropriate. That is not typical of a doctor-patient relationship. I've actually seen articles on this, hold on, if a patient, this is on the GMC website. If the patient pursues a sexual or improper emotional relationship with you, you should treat them politely and considerately and try to re-establish a professional boundary. Basically what that means. It's like you have to tell the patient. This is an appropriate for a doctor-patient relationship if you continue to display for. Me this way, then I will not hesitate to terminate the relationship and refer you to another GP or another doctor. And then it continues to say a trust has been broken down and you find it necessary to end a professional relationship. You must follow the guidance, and blah blah blah. So I read about this previously, you should always have everything in writing in verbatim basically means that you should write exactly what the patient said because there is a problem as, like, legal things happen. If they come out you for why did you choose to terminate the relationship? Then you have these notes on hand and that's important to protect your medical license as such. Also, another really interesting thing, I found another website is how to coat if you feel attracted to a patient and apparently this is to do to burn out. As a psychologist. I've treated many, Physicians whose burnout has manifested an attraction to patients. And while there is no vaccination to prevent it, there is a protocol of care. That sounds so bizarre to me. But in a way I kind of understand it. If you're feeling burned out, you might find some constantly find a way to end your medical practice. I'm so confused. I'm actually not quite sure. If you have any ideas of what the actually meant. Please send me a DM or comment on my video on @Medicmornings cuz that is so crazy. How can attraction to a patient mean burnout? So confused, moving on moving on, okay next is social media might not be appropriate because giving medical advice online is definitely something that is more likely to happen if you have social media in the first place. Giving giving medical advice online is definitely not advise for a variety of reasons. First off, which is it can be very vague and non-specific so that you don't actually know the patient, they could be giving their symptoms and a very vague way. For example, I have pain in my belly belly for patient, could be anywhere from your ribs to the very bottom of your past, and it can be difficult to specify that without a physical examination. It can also lead to legal issues. So you know how, when a doctor gives incorrect advice, it can be seen as more practiced, which the patient can then sue the doctor for and then the GMC would have to work that out beside lawyers. I can be much more difficult for that to happen. If it was online because different countries can have different regulations for that. And being online is a bit more wishy-washy because you can't exactly pinpoint a doctor in person. You don't have any contract with them. You, they have no obligation to you. No show up to court, so it can be difficult, especially if it's an online form, and they don't have their license with them. They don't have their name or anyting, then that's where I can get really difficult because of this, the GMC recommended that doctors should always identified by their own real name. And that's the last for accountability, especially on online form that can be a bit vicious there. Epecially the student room, yall remember ecolier and GANFYD. Get a note from your doctor. Say that should be like the student room saviors on the medical forms, but that's a discussion for another day. Anyways, those kind of doctors that are advising pre-medical students. They might want to use their right to free expression, so they can use a pseudonym and there's always going to be a digital Trace. That can trace you back to your original source. So doctor should always be mindful of what they say online and how they present themselves. And yeah I could come back to bite you in the butt but overall I think that professionalism and social media has come a long way. Like previously it was really frowned upon but now on Tik Tok Instagram. How to evolve into these shorts media content forms. And it's become more normalized to see the day in a life of a doctor and see what actually happens. to summarize, I love what this generation of doctors have done. I love that Doctors have fought this preconceived notion. That Medics cannot have both Medics cannot have an excellent work by 5 and they cannot have a family. They cannot love. They cannot find happiness. They cannot find things and hobbies and extracurriculars outside of the workplace and I love. Our Generation has normalized and redefined life balance actually is, and continue to fight these 80 hour work weeks. Continue to appreciate what the previous generation have done. And it's amazing and it's beautiful. Appreciate This generation. I'll talk to you so much for today. Thank you so much for coming and joining me on this episode of professionalism on social media. Let me know what you think on Instagram at medicmorning and see you next time. Bye bye!