In addition to returning to my blog after a recent break,
I have also resumed my activity in other forms of social media (or SoMe for
short). In particular, I am back on
Twitter (@TaborF). Twitter has a
reputation for being rather superficial, and there certainly is plenty of inane
celebrity-related tweeting going on.
However, it can be used for more productive pursuits. My primary involvement with it is the weekly
#meded chat on Thursday evenings, which allows me to meet others all over the
world, who share my interest in medical education. If you would also enjoy a lively discussion
of current issues in the meded field, you are welcome to check it out.
I have also joined Linked In, as a relatively late
arrival. I had been putting it off,
mostly because of time constraints.
Enough of my colleagues have invited me to join them that I finally gave
in. I am still very new to it (not even
a profile picture up yet), so it is too soon to say how I will like it. I do have a multitude of professional
contacts to maintain though, and it does seem useful for this purpose.
My use of Facebook is purely personal, rather than
professional. Even though mine is the
cutest baby in the history of babies, I do not necessarily want to share our
photos with the entire world. So I restrict
this to family and friends. It is also
my main means of keeping up with their weddings/babies/special events and a great
way to rediscover people from my well-traveled past who could be in any time
zone.
The one form of SoMe that I obstinately avoid
participating in is Pinterest. I regard
it as a conspiracy against working mothers.
I will never decorate the baby’s room (or any room in our home) in a
coordinated manner. His Star
Wars/dinosaurs/miscellaneous animals theme is perfectly fine, thank you. I will never make any homemade crafts or
baked goods for his class functions. It’s
just not going to happen and that is okay.
My blog is a mix of several identities. I reflect on my professional work as a doctor
and also my personal interests in literature and creative writing. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on
this intersection of personal and professional selves. Any doctor who is active on SoMe needs to be
vigilant about standards of professionalism.
Even when “off duty”, we are still a part of the medical community and invested
with the public’s trust. My friends in
the clergy face a similar challenge, never able to truly separate their private
lives from their vocation’s ethics of appropriate behavior.
Despite these strictures, it remains important for us to
be part of the public conversations about medical education and healthcare,
especially in times of great change. Our
voices, as advocates for our profession and the welfare of our patients, should
be heard.
