Training the Public Physician: The Nephrology Social Media Collective Internship

The significant growth of social media use by the medical community, including nephrology, has led to a need to equip health care professionals with the mentorship, knowledge, and tools to use these platforms both effectively and professionally. Social media is free and accessible to almost anyone with a computer or mobile device, which not only has revolutionized the dissemination of information, but also has created a venue for unprofessionalism and missteps. This article describes the Nephrology Social Media Collective internship, a 12-month, mentored training program during which selected interns participate in a curriculum of lectures, activities, and projects that aim to increase their knowledge, proficiency, and confidence in the use of social media. The goal of the internship is to train participants to acquire modern communication skills that are not taught in traditional medical training, and leverage these to become leaders in medicine. The structure of the internship, application process, and educational components, along with areas for improvement and future directions, are discussed.