Why I Started Tweeting and Blogging

by Sophia K. McKinley

For years, I limited my participation in social media: my tendency is to untag all photos of myself on Facebook, and as recently as six months ago I had never visited Twitter.com. I do have some experience writing personal travel blogs, but the main purpose of those online posts was to communicate to an audience of one (Hi, Mom) that I was safe and sound despite being thousands of miles away from home. If you had asked me a year ago why I wasn’t more engaged with the online community, I would have responded that I was too introverted and private, or that I had nothing worth sharing with other people.

Today, I have a Twitter account and have written blog posts for both the Association of Women Surgeons and the Association of Academic Surgeons. I’ve even explored options for launching a personal website, though instead of describing which remote destination I’ve visited, this website will outline my research interests and link to my Twitter feed.

It sounds implausible, but I began to overcome my hesitation to develop an online presence through an old-fashioned essay writing course. The instructor, Nancy Sommers, embraces a philosophy that everyone has a story to tell and that the world is better off when those stories are shared. The essays my classmates wrote were fascinating not because they were perfectly polished, but because they were genuine and authentic. Their stories were interesting and full of meaning, and I found myself thinking this might also be true of my own life. I was forced to reconsider my assumption that I had nothing to contribute to a larger conversation.

The next experience that pushed me to become more active in social media was hearing a talk by Dr. Mary L. Brandt at the Women in Surgery Career Symposium in San Francisco. Dr. Brandt provided an outline for creating an online presence and reviewed useful applications for tweeting and blogging, but the most important thing I learned was that the online world is still dominated by written language. Previously, I thought that the kinds of individuals who shared frequently online would be extroverts who easily navigate cocktail parties and always have a snappy verbal reply at the ready. I’m most confident when communicating through writing, so viewing tweeting and blogging as forms of writing made these activities less daunting.

There continue to be moments when I cringe at the thought of other people reading my tweets and blog entries. Sometimes I wonder if I am oversharing, or if I’ve only added noise to an already crowded internet. What keeps me stepping outside my comfort zone and hitting that “tweet” button one more time is the overwhelmingly positive feedback on what I have already transmitted into cyberspace. Just a few tweets and blog posts have led to productive face-to-face networking opportunities with other medical students, surgical residents, and even leading surgeons.

I may never stop untagging photos on Facebook, but I now consider Twitter and the blogosphere as additional writing venues within my professional life. Whatever hesitations you may have about establishing an online presence, I’d urge you to be courageous and dip a toe into the social media waters. Not as warm as a Balinese beach, but that’s a post for a totally different blog.

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Sophia is a dual-degree M.D./Ed.M. student at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received the 2012 Association of Women Surgeons Patricia Numann Medical Student Award and spent a year as a Zuckerman fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. Sophia is passionate about medical education, and she hopes to be an academic surgeon who brings educationally-sound innovations to surgical training. Her clinical interests are gastrointestinal and minimally invasive surgery. Sophia is in the process of applying for general surgery residency for the 2014 Match cycle.

Powerful Tweets

by Lauren Nosanov

Social media have come to play a growing role at national conferences, serving not only as a convenient vehicle for information dissemination, but also as a forum for idea sharing and discourse. This year’s AWS and ACS meetings featured a significantly increased Twitter presence, with tweets from @AmCollSurgeons and @WomenSurgeons as well as several Twitter correspondents and meeting-goers. A review of content tweeted using hashtags #AWS13 and #ACSCC13 offers a wonderful snapshot of ideas discussed and wisdom shared. (For those unfamiliar with Twitter and associated terminology, see our Twitter 101 from Dr. Heather Logghe (@LoggheMD) and consider checking out Twitter’s FAQ section for new users.)

From Dr. Susan Pories on Networking

• Women are often excluded from networks and from conversations that open doors
• Networking: start small and begin with people you know (friends, family, etc)
• Build 3 networks: operational, strategic, developmental
• Don’t be afraid to take risks!
• Smile, ask a question, listen, have a handy business card, make a point to say the person’s name - Dale Carnegie’s five points
• Always be sure to follow up - it confirms that you are someone who can be trusted
• Moral of the story - you never know what will come of the random connections that you make
• “The way of the world is meeting people through other people”
• Key to networking: “building sincere relationships with mutual generosity"

From Dr. Mary Brandt (@drmlb) on Physician Wellness and Avoiding Burnout

• We talk about “quality of life” but not necessary “quality of work”
• Taking care of ourselves is a key part of taking care of our patients
• > 80% of surgeons experience discomfort or pain while operating
• Crucial to pay attention to ergonomics at work, both on the computer and in the OR
• Try to plan exercise every day and do something you really enjoy - focus on rotational core exercise
• When are you eating, are you eating enough, and what exactly are you eating?
• Call nights are similar to jet lag - stay hydrated, eat q3-q4h, repay the deficit
• Human beings heal by telling stories - communicate frequently, sincerely and with intent
• Spend some time every day being still and contemplating awe
• Down time is not wasted time, it’s essential time
• People at the top love to mentor those who are responsive and show potential for success

Dr. Gretchen Purcell Jackson (@pedssurgery) on Planning for Family

• You cannot plan perfectly or be fully prepared (hard for the Type A personality)
• Important to assess values, goal sand priorities prior to starting a family
• One of the few things you can control is your general state of health
• Think about child care options early on
• Know what your institution’s leave policy is and what you need to do to take advantage of it
• Important message from @LeanInOrg - don’t leave before you leave
• It’s okay to have help, and don’t fuss about things you can’t control

Dr. Hilary Sanfey (@hilarysanfey) on Leadership

• Leadership: the process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal
• Effective leaders utilize more than one style of leadership
• Watch leaders around you and decide for yourself what style they are using and whether or not it is effective

Joint AWS (@WomenSurgeons) and AAS (@AcademicSurgery) Panel on the Business of Medicine and Professional Development, Moderated by Dr. Carla Pugh (@CarlaPughMDPhD)

• Seek out those who can provide you with objective advice when you find yourself in a difficult situation - Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan
• Jobs are not forever - it is ok to change - Dr. Danielle Walsh (@walshds)
• Mentors are a bit like the Easter bunny or unicorns - they can be quite hard to find - Dr. Julie Ann Sosa
• As with all good relationships, mentee-mentor relationships take work to maintain
• You really have to respect your mentor, like them personally and trust them deeply - Dr. Julie Ann Sosa
• Assigned mentors may or may not work out - Dr. Rebecca Sippel
• Good communication is key to effective mentorship - Dr. Julie Ann Sosa
• Mentorship takes effort on the part of the mentee as well. Change mentors as the need arises
• Societies like AWS and AAS place a big emphasis on networking and mentorship - get involved! - Dr. Julie Ann Sosa
• Don’t lose sight of the fact that mentors also stand to gain something from involvement with mentees, it’s a two-way street - Dr. Danielle Walsh
• It’s ok to be a stalker, it’s ok to be a groupie - Dr. Amalia Cochran (@AmaliaCochranMD)
• Mentor opportunities - You give someone a rope and they hang themselves or make macrame - Dr. Mary Brandt (@drmlb)
• When you are asking for something, be sure you’re being realistic about what you need when negotiating - Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan
• Know your own value - Dr. Wei Zhou
• Stick to your values during the negotiation process. You will be respected for that. - Dr. Hayes-Jordan and Dr. Wei Zhou
• Write out a description of what you want from your position and get that into your contract - Dr. Joyce Majure
• If you are in a position where you are hiring/firing, work with your HR department to get guidance - Dr. Sandra Wong
• Negotiation is a long dance. Learn the steps. 

A key theme brought up by a number of speakers was the value of advocating for yourself. Whether this is seeking out the mentor that can best meet your needs, prioritizing your own health and well-being or successfully negotiating a competitive salary, conference goers were repeatedly reminded of a crucial point: you cannot expect to get what you need and/or want unless you speak up and ask for it.

Some food for thought:

• What challenges have you faced in advocating for yourself?
• Do you think women surgeons have more difficulty advocating for themselves than their male colleagues?
• Are you on Twitter? Why or why not?
• If so, how has Twitter (or any other form of social media) enhanced your experience of a professional meeting?
• How can the professional use of Twitter enhance your practice as a surgeon? How might it cause harm?

This post can also be found on the blog page of the Association of Academic Surgery.

~~~

Lauren Nosanov is a fourth year medical student at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. She has spent the last year as a Dean’s Research Scholar, dedicating her time to clinical research in the field of Trauma and Critical Care. Having loved surgery from the very beginning, she is excited to embark upon the process of applying to General Surgery residency this fall. She is passionate about issues surrounding surgical education, mentorship and finding a balance between motherhood and medicine. Outside of medicine she enjoys practicing Taekwondo and spending time with her husband and son.

Twitter 101: How to set up a professional Twitter account

by Heather Logghe, M.D.

Since starting my own personal Twitter account, I have mentored numerous peers and faculty on how to get started. I’ve noticed that most surgeons have similar questions and concerns. Below I have detailed the most common questions along with my answers.

Twitter? Isn’t that just a bunch of people talking about what they ate for breakfast? Think again. Twitter is about who you follow. Sure, you can choose to follow celebrities and people who tweet pictures of the donuts they eat for breakfast, but the beauty of Twitter is that you don’t have to. Think of Twitter as millions of people talking at once, and by choosing who you follow, you choose who you want to “listen” to. As an aspiring surgeon, I choose to follow surgical societies, surgical journals, and leading surgeons--literally from all over the world. Through Twitter, I learn about upcoming events, the latest research, and the opinions of surgeons I look up to. I also follow influential non-surgeon physicians and patients who are effecting positive change in medicine. None of the “tweeps” I follow mention what they eat for breakfast. (Well, most of the time anyway.)

But I’m not even on Facebook! Don’t be fooled by the misguided logic that if you didn’t take to Facebook, you’re not going to like Twitter. Twitter actually has a very different flavor and utility. Rather than a purely social network (like Facebook), think of Twitter as more of a “subject” network, where users share information and access it based on common interest. You can take advantage of this endless wealth of information, whether or not you are “friends” with those you are following.

Does Twitter substitute for real, live, face-to-face interaction? No, however it often leads to it. On multiple occasions I have met surgeons and medical students via Twitter whom I then chose to meet in person. Not only did Twitter provide me with these professional connections I would not have otherwise had, it also gave us a common ground to start from, enabling a solid introduction before even meeting. This really allowed us to hit the ground running.

Do I really have to join Twitter to stay “on top” of the field of surgery? Of course not, but you may be missing out on a powerful way to connect with your colleagues and learn from others both inside and outside of medicine.

That sounds nice, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time. I’m not going to tell you that Twitter doesn’t take time. As a surgeon, you know that most endeavors that are worthwhile do have a learning curve and do take time. However you do not have to become a Twitter expert overnight. Tread slowly but confidently. I will lay out some basic steps to get you started.
 
     1. Open a Twitter account at www.Twitter.com. All you need is an email address.

     2. Set up your profile. For your Twitter handle (that “@thing”), I recommend choosing something as close to your real name as possible. Try @FirstLastMD or @DrFirstLast or any variation thereof.


Do I have to log in everyday? Definitely not. Twitter is not something that you have to “keep up” with. You do not need to read every tweet. I repeat: You do not need to read every tweet. It’s like the news. It’s interesting when you feel like tuning into it, but it’s fine if you don’t as well. I like to log into Twitter with a cup of tea. Others might sneak a peek at their Twitter feed while waiting between cases or in line at the grocery store.

I’m not sure I want to use my real name, isn’t it better to be anonymous? No. The days of maintaining an anonymous internet presence are over. Besides, you will only be posting professional tweets, and it’s important you get proper credit for your effort and contributions. Think of it this way--would you attend a conference and introduce yourself as someone else? Would you tell them a fake name just in case you said something silly and didn’t want anyone to remember you? Of course not. Consider your Twitter account an extension of your professional persona. You want it to represent you in a meaningful, memorable way. 

     3. Use a real photo of yourself for your avatar (profile pic).

Can’t I use an image of a scalpel or a picture of my kids or dog? Going back to the conference analogy, picture yourself at a conference with a bag or mask over your head--kind of creepy right? You probably wouldn’t expect people to trust you or take you seriously. The same goes for Twitter. Post a real picture of yourself.

     4. Write your Twitter profile bio, in 160 characters or fewer.

My whole bio in 160 characters? Don’t stress too much about this. The important thing is to put something. You can always edit it later. For ideas, I suggest looking at the bios of other surgeons on Twitter. With the character limit, it will be slightly informal. Add your clinical interests and feel free to include something slightly personal to add character, such as you enjoy cooking or play a mean game of tennis. The goal is professional but personable.

You are now ready to confidently enter the Twitterverse. (Yes, there is a “Twitterese” version of nearly every word in the English language...)

     5. Choose some accounts to follow.

How do I choose who to follow? I recommend following liberally, as it only takes one click to unfollow someone if you do not enjoy their tweets.

For starters, I recommend following the American College of Surgeons: @AmCollSurgeons; the Association of Women Surgeons: @WomenSurgeons; and Mary L. Brandt, MD: @drmlb. Dr. Brandt is a prolific tweeter and an excellent professional example. For general medical commentary you can start by following Kevin Pho, MD: @KevinMD. Through Twitter.com you can also search for the various surgical societies of which you are a member, as well as your own academic or medical institutions.

One simple way to find surgeons on Twitter is to check out the list I have created of over 100 surgeons and surgery-related Twitter accounts. From Twitter.com, you can search “@LoggheMD” and go to my profile page. From there, click on “Lists” on the left and then “Surgery” and “List Members.” You will be presented with numerous surgeons and surgical societies. Simply click “follow” to follow those you find interesting. You will now see their tweets when you log into Twitter.

Finally, I recommend that everyone follow @TweetSmarter. They are an excellent resource for learning the unique etiquette of the Twitterverse. If you read one of their linked articles from time to time, you will become a Twitter expert in no time.

What happens when I follow someone? Do they know I’m following them? When you follow someone, they receive an email notice and have the option to click on your profile and decide whether they want to follow you back. Thus you want to maintain a professional image from the first day you sign up for Twitter.

If I receive an email that someone is following me, is it polite to follow them back? You are never obligated to follow someone back. This is the beauty of Twitter. You choose who you read and learn from. When you receive an email notice that someone is following you, I recommend clicking on their profile link. Often, you can determine whether or not you want to follow them from reading their 160-character bio. If you really want to be thorough, you can also look at their Tweets and see if their tweet content is of interest to you.

Ok. I have a profile, and I’m following a few people--now what? I recommend laying low for a bit. Spend some time skimming your Twitter feed and reading the links that look interesting. There are many unwritten rules to Twitter and it takes some time to understand how it works and how people interact.

I’m nervous about tweeting. Don’t stress about your first tweet. It’s like making an incision--hesitation suggests lack of confidence and clarity. Jump into the conversation. For your first tweet, you can try something like, "Excited to enter the Twitterverse! Eager to learn and share with fellow surgeons and beyond.” This makes it clear that you are joining Twitter to learn and be part of the conversation. This will make other Twitter users more interested in following you.

What if I don’t have anything to say? Don’t worry about having something novel or witty to say. One of the strengths of Twitter is that it fosters sharing of ideas and information. If you are reading an interesting online article and you see the option to tweet it, go for it! If you found it interesting, it’s likely that your followers will as well. Also, for many people, the majority of their tweets early on consist of “retweets.” If you like something someone else shared, retweet it!

Ok. This gives me a basic start, but I know I’m going to have lots of questions. You’re absolutely right. I recommend that everyone find a designated “twentor.” Yes, that’s a twitter mentor. This will likely be someone younger than you, though not necessarily. Find someone you feel comfortable checking in with from time-to-time with your Twitter questions. Ideally, this person will also follow your tweets and can even give you feedback via direct messages (private tweets).

What about the different kind of tweets, and what are those #hashtag things? My next post will detail some of the various types of tweets and how to get started tweeting and engaging other surgeons. In the meantime, I hope you explore the rich links in your Twitter feed. Don’t be afraid to click on the profiles of those who look interesting. You never know who you will meet!

This post was originally published in AWS Connections and on Dr. Logghe's blog, Allies for Health.

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Heather Logghe, M.D. is a general surgery resident at the University of North Carolina. She graduated with her M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked on various projects at the intersection of medicine and technology in Silicon Valley and is a tireless advocate for health equity. She blogs and tweets. 

A Word with Amalia Cochran, MD, MA, FACS, FCCM about Twitter

by Heather Logghe, M.D.

Dr. Amalia Cochran serves as Secretary for the Association of Women Surgeons and is a member of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee Board of Directors. She chairs the Education Committee of the American Burn Association, is Vice Chair of the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee of the Society for Critical Care Medicine, and is a member of the Association of Academic Surgery Education Committee. She is also the Chair of the Multi-institutional Education Research Group of the Association for Surgical Education. 

Her research interests lie in the areas of education and clinical outcomes, and she has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards. Dr. Cochran is a burn surgeon at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

In addition to all of Dr. Cochran's accomplishments, she serves as a leading voice in health care social media. In today's post, Dr. Cochran discusses her growing use of Twitter.

 

Q: What has surprised you most about your Twitter experience?

A: I have been most surprised by the amount of material I am able to access quickly from links in Twitter. I have a strong interest in mentoring and professionalism in surgery, and Twitter has given me a community to engage in meaningful discussions with people at other institutions about those things.  It's good to both find like minds AND to be challenged in your ideas in a collegial manner.

Q: Does Twitter help you stay current? If so, how?

A: Yes, more than I expected.  Many surgical and medical journals have begun to tweet links to abstracts of key articles they have published, and they are sometimes things I would have otherwise missed.  Also, now that I have a fairly robust group of people I follow, I'm often impressed at the links that they will provide that lead me to something fascinating and new.

Q: Do you engage patients via Twitter, and have patients approached you?

A: So far, no to both, but I could see this happening.  I tend to be very cautious about giving medical advice to anyone who isn't my patient, so while I might not be willing to use it to give advice, I would happily use it to help connect patients to resources.

Q: What are your thoughts on the future of Twitter for surgeons?

A: I am optimistic that we'll see growing engagement with Twitter in the surgical community, and that as we do, it will become a more robust clinical and educational resource for us.  The Twitter session at #ACSCC12 was certainly a great start, and I recently participated as part of a Twitter "team" for the Academic Surgical Congress (#ASC13) and the American Burn Association (#ABA13) meetings this past Spring.  I know that it was a great way to stay engaged-- and keep track of places that you couldn't be simultaneously-- during the Clinical Congress.

Q: What are your thoughts on Twitter for:

Medical Education: I see limitless potential here for asynchronous learning.  While I have been looking into ways to use Twitter for CME, I'm simultaneously brainstorming how I could effectively use it for medical student education. There may be an experiment coming up during our Transitions course for our 4th year medical students in April! I'm also appreciative of the networks that I have become part of by virtue of being active on Twitter.

Patient Education: This is an angle that I haven't looked at much within my own specialty-- yet-- but that I see the value of with the wonderful #bcsm chats hosted by Dr. Deanna Attai every week. She hosts a robust forum with a scheduled topic, and often includes topic-specific guests.  I think she's setting a great bar for the rest of us!

Advocacy: Having made it through an election cycle, and having witnessed the Komen/ Planned Parenthood debacle of February, 2012, it is clear to me that Twitter has amazing potential as an advocacy tool.  Also, my own experience tells me that most people don't want big bites of advocacy information given to them, so 140 characters may just be the perfect way to help educate people on key issues and teach them how to be involved.

Readers, what are your thoughts regarding Twitter and its use in the surgical community? Share your comments below.