Social media and tomorrow's medical students--how do they fit?

The main aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of social networking accounts among a group of second-level students (aged 15-18 years), to determine whether they used privacy settings, and to examine their attitudes to various aspects of social media use in medicine.

A descriptive study design was employed. The questionnaire was constructed specifically to address the attitudes of students to social media. No similar suitable validated questionnaire could be identified. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions with a mixture of open answer, yes/no, and Likert scale response options.

Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Second-level school children interested in studying medicine and aged between 15 and 18 years took part.

An annual open day organized by the School of Medicine in University College Cork, Ireland, formed the setting. The day comprised a mixture of lectures, demonstrations, and practical sessions designed to give the students insight into life as a medical student.

A total of 96 students attended, and all were handed the questionnaires. Of them, 88 students completed the survey. Overall, 90.9% of students had Facebook accounts and 53% had Twitter accounts. Of those with social media accounts, 14.8% reported having no privacy settings. Most respondents felt that unprofessional behavior on social media sites should be a factor considered in admission to medical schools.

Serious consequences can result from lapses in best practice relating to social media behavior. Dedicated reflective learning modules need to be incorporated into undergraduate and postgraduate training programs as a matter of urgency.