Given how competitive medical school admissions can be, prospective students know that they need exceptional grades, a high MCAT score and plenty of extracurricular activities. But many applicants may not be aware that their social media presence may have an impact on their chances of acceptance.
In a study published in 2013, medical school admissions officers responded to a survey on their perceptions of applicants’ use of social media and the effect it could have on the admissions process. Although only about 9 percent of the admissions officers said they routinely checked applicants’ social media at the time, about 50 percent said that unprofessional content on an applicant’s social media network could negatively affect his or her chance for acceptance.
While the study is a few years old, the precedent that it establishes likely rings true now more so than ever. Since that survey was conducted, Facebook alone has seen its active monthly users balloon to more than 2.2 billion as of March 2018.
As the use of social media has expanded, it’s likely that an increasing number of medical school admissions decisions are influenced by it. Here are answers to questions medical school applicants may have about social media usage.
[Read: How Medical School Admissions Will Change in 2019.]
Why do admissions committees care about what is on social media? The American Medical Association’s opinion regarding the use of social media in medicine details several different aspects of the ways in which social media use should be controlled.
One important aspect is that physicians must be aware that “actions online and content posted may negatively affect their reputations among patients and colleagues,” and may also affect a medical career, especially for medical students.
The point is, medicine is a profession, and as a physician, you are held to high standards of professionalism, both in and outside of your practice. Medical school admissions committees want to ensure that they recruit students who will be able to maintain this expected level of professionalism in medical school and beyond.
[Read: Follow Doctors on Snapchat, Instagram to Get a Glimpse Into the Profession.]
What is considered unprofessional? Most organizations, including the AMA, recognize that any posting pertaining to patients is strictly unprofessional.
Some premedical students like to post pictures of a surgery they saw or a description of a particular patient case, but this should be avoided. Although no identifying details may be present, patient confidentiality should be held in the highest regard. Don’t ever post patient-related content online, even on secure websites.
Other content that can be considered unprofessional are images or text related to drugs, alcohol or sexual behaviors.
What if my profile is set to private? As a premed student, it is essential to set your profile settings in all social media accounts to private. However, there can be some items that are discoverable even if your account is private.
Take a minute to Google yourself and see what comes up. Are there images or text that could be viewed negatively? If so, modify your use of social media so this content is minimized, or preferably, absent.
Many medical school applicants may “friend” their student interviewer that they interviewed with at a medical school. Be cautious when making these connections, as now you are allowing someone who can have an influence on admissions decisions to view your content.
Therefore, the safest scenario is to never post unprofessional content as it may be discoverable in some way.
[Read: Avoid 3 Common Mistakes During Medical School Interviews.]
Should I just not use social media? Stopping all use of social media is not necessary. In fact, many medical schools have embraced social networks as a means to release information to students and enhance class cohesion.
Instead of deleting your profiles, take time to assess your privacy settings. Also, before posting, ask yourself if the content could be perceived as unprofessional. If there is any doubt, then it is safer not to post that specific image or text.
Being a physician is a privilege, and the high standards of professionalism should be established early in your career to ensure effective collaboration with your peers — and to maintain the trust granted to you by your patients.
More from U.S. News
6 Red Flags Medical School Isn’t the Right Choice
How Premed Students Can Avoid 4 Common Academic Mistakes
How to Submit a Unique Medical School Application
How Medical School Applicants Should Manage Social Media originally appeared on usnews.com
