A Message to Students in these Uncertain Times

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Author: David Fine, MD

AAEM/RSA Board Members, Liaison to the AAEM/RSA Education Committee, and AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council

Medical school is undoubtedly a stressful time, but studying medicine in the context of a pandemic is a challenge that brings about additional stressors, anxiety, and uncertainty. The changes that have been implemented are a result of safety being a number one priority. I also feel it is important to recognize the difficult situation that students are facing.

Considerations for Your Social Media Presence

Image Credit: Pexels

Author: David Fine 

Medical Student Council President 

Originally published: Common Sense
March/April 2020

Should you create a professional social media account? What are the benefits and risks associated with this commitment? When applying for medical school, residency, or jobs are people searching for you on the internet? How do HIPPA, professionalism, and unspoken rules factor into your social media presence? My search for information has shown that many people are asking the same questions. There are a plethora of different resources that can help you make informed decisions.

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has created a set of 10 social media guidelines: be professional, be responsible, maintain separation, be transparent/use disclaimers, be respectful, follow copyright laws, avoid politics, protect client/patient information, comply with all legal restrictions and obligations, and be aware of risks to privacy and security (Keating 2016). These guidelines are vague, but this speaks to the potential for problems that you might face and the importance of thoughtful posting. Even on private accounts, posts that violate HIPAA and professionalism can result in punitive actions from your home institutions. There is often this discussion about ways that these forums can be negative, but there is a massive potential benefit that is much less often explained.