Who's misbehaving? Perceptions of unprofessional social media use by medical students and faculty

Abstract

Background: Social media use by physicians offers potential benefits but may also be associated with professionalism problems. The objectives of this study were: 1) to examine and compare characteristics of social media use by medical students and faculty; 2) to explore the scope of self- and peer-posting of unprofessional online content; and 3) to determine what actions were taken when unprofessional content was viewed. Methods: An anonymous, web-based survey was sent to medical students and faculty in October, 2013 at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. Results: Three-quarters of medical students reported using social media "very frequently" (several times a day), whereas less than one-third of faculty did so (p