Medical Students and Staff Physicians: The Question of Social Media

Social media's prevalence among the professional world is rapidly increasing. Its use among medical personnel-specifically, medical students, resident physicians, and staff physicians-could compromise personal-professional boundaries. Could the acceptance or lack of acceptance of a friend request bias the medical student application process? If friend requests are accepted, then medical students, resident physicians, and staff physicians are provided access to very personal aspects of one another's lives, which may not have been the intent. The question remains whether the separation of one's personal life from work is necessary. Should medical students restrict social media relationships with residents and staff physicians to professional social media networks? The suitability and opportunities of social media among medical professionals is an ongoing issue for research that needs continued evaluation.