This week an article featured on KevinMD.com highlighted a growing quandary in the medical community – how to balance social media with online professionalism. The article, written by a medical student, talks briefly about how new and upcoming medical school graduates are warned away from doctoring on social media outlets because of the negative stigmas social media carries. The physician instructors, whom the article refers to as the “older generation,” believe that social media sites are outlets for unprofessional behavior. However, the young student believes that the usage of social media is unavoidable, because a majority of patients are now getting their medial information online.

Things like Facebook, Twitter, Google, blogging – they’re all forms of social communication. Here at MindStream Creative, we talk about social media marketing a lot, but we want to know what you think! Is social media a form of entertainment used only by a younger audience? Is it a passing fad that should be left out of professional medicine? Or do you think that social media has a place in all our daily lives? Do you think the medical community should encourage the use of social media in healthcare? Why? Can you think of ways in which your patients can benefit from social media? What about other practices, hospitals, or medical facilities?

Most importantly, what are your suggestions for maintaining professionalism? We want to hear from you!

Read the article here!