<p>" AP–JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Would you visit a doctor who wore a lab coat labeled “Kevorkian Medical Clinic?” Or dressed as a pimp? Or posted online photos of themselves cross-dressing?</p>
<p>But University of Florida researchers found that sort of material when they studied the Facebook pages of the school’s medical students…</p>
<p>They would not want a permanent record of every moment they’ve had," said Dr. Lindsey Acheson Thompson, an assistant professor of general pediatrics at UF.</p>
<p>Thompson and other researchers looked up more than 800 of the school’s medical students and residents by name on Facebook.com, one of the most popular social-networking sites with about 80 million users worldwide. It allows users to post information and photos about themselves. They can limit access to their pages to friends or leave it open to any user.</p>
<p>The study, published recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that nearly half the medical students had Facebook pages, with only 37 percent limiting viewership to their friends. More than half of those whose pages were open for review provided lifestyle information, including sexual orientation, dating relationships and political opinions.</p>
<p>Erick W. Black, one of the researchers, said he found pictures of students grabbing their breasts and crotches, posing with a dead raccoon and multiple photos of residents and medical students drinking heavily.</p>
<p>Many students had joined Facebook groups that could be considered sexist, racist or downright nasty, with many using vulgar language. Some of the tamer groups included “Physicians looking for trophy wives in training” and “PIMP” (Party of Important Male Physicians).“”</p>
<p>It seems that political correctness has become a disabling disease throughout the western world. It’s not only very sad, but also very ominous in regards to our future.<br>
**
PC is always the biggest lie to be had.** Societies that allow themselves to be ruled by great lies, always in the end pay a horrible price for that cowardice.</p>
<p>toblin,
I do not see how this has to do with being politically correct. The point isn’t so much what these students do in their spare time or whether they should engage in such things. Nor is the point so much what their individual views are on life. The point is that before the advent of internet social networks such as facebook (or others), a med student would not go into an employment interview (let alone into a patient’s room) toting photos of themselves in these social or personal situations, or with written statements regarding their sexual life, politics, etc. They would have kept that private from employers and potential patients. So, why would they want to SHARE that information now in such a public fashion with those same people? Seems rather dumb to do. I imagine that my kids’ facebook pages are only avaiable to those whom they choose to share such personal information with and not potential employers or clients. So, it doesn’t matter to me the view or actions of these folks in their private life but it is pretty dumb for them to put it out there for anyone to see.</p>
To be fair, it’s likely not the same people. Even for the students whose profiles aren’t limited to friends, the profiles will be limited by network. Further, we are talking about med students. I assume the profiles will become more private and/or more conservative once these students actually begin practicing medicine. Obviously these students should have more private profiles–I believe most people out there should have their profiles set to friends-only. But I don’t think that having something on a Facebook profile is the same as openly sharing the information with an interviewer or patient, and I generally assume that adults (including my doctors) have sexual orientations, political views, and relationship statuses, and have drank heavily, partied, and made poor decisions in the past. These profiles don’t have the tightest security options in place, but they are not viewable by the general public.</p>
<p>From what I have heard, the whole med-school process is warped- long long hours, few breaks, etc.</p>
<p>Maybe they need to look at at that side of the equation as well as the stupidty of adults posting pictures like that of themselves.</p>
<p>Its not about being PC, its about showing maturity, good judgement, respect for your patients, respect for yourselves, etc.</p>
<p>I wonder what causes adults to behave that way, to share with the world their recreational activities like that. Just because you can post it doesn’t mean you should. Why do they think its smart to embarass themselves like that, I just don’t understand. When I was younger, I did some “wild stuff”, but I just couldn’t imagine sharing it with just anyone on the internet. </p>
<p>Why do adults think its funny, or clever, or special to post pictures like that? Having them on your computer for yourself isn’t good enough, that you need for everyone to see how clever you think you are?</p>
<p>If I saw pictures of my plumber or mechanic doing things like that, I would question their judgement as well.</p>
<p>And aren’t med STUDENTS in their early 20s" in most cases? They are going into a profession that requires respect, care, and most of all, privacy for their patients. If you don’t have enough respect for yourself to not be so inane and post your stupidity for all to see, how can you have respect for the people you are supposed to take care off? I am not saying they need to be angels, but why advertise moronic behavior? And if they are drinking, I would assume they are over 21, and many med students actually deal with people- in clinics, etc.</p>
<p>It just makes sense to have the “just friends” setting. I believe facebook is now open to anyone, not just students and so yes, patients or supervisors of the interns/residents could facebook these students and it makes sense to either watch what you put up or just use the setting that limits access to those whom you are fine with seeing all that about your private life. What I share about my private life with friends is not the same as what I may tell a client or employer. </p>
<p>Again, the behaviors or views themselves are not as much the issue (to me).</p>
<p>Corranged…a patient or interviewer may very well google someone or facebook someone. It is pretty common.</p>
<p>Viewability test to check corranged’s theory. </p>
<p>I am in the general public on the facebook Cleveland Ohio network. Scoping for young doctors, I searched within the Cleveland regional network on the words resident and Case (the nearest med school). Looking at the first seven young doctors who show up (Kevin, Andy, Dom, Allie, Kenneth, Larry, and the seventh) I can see the full profile of the first six. The seventh has his limited so I can’t see it. But that is six out of seven not set to “friends only.” </p>
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<p>Agreed.The notes on their “Walls” say things like “how was your move? are you all unpacked yet?” or “happy birthday brother” or “congratulations! when is the baby due?” The profiles that I can see are conservative. These are residents, not med students - a little bit closer to actually practicing medicine.</p>
<p>Okay, I am about to date myself, but as I told both kids recently-once you put something on Facebook, or anywhere in cyberspace, albiet briefly-you have just allowed someone else a “snapshot in time” of yourself. While I can see the original utility of social networking sites, there is something strangely voyeuristic to me about being able to read the “walls” and profiles of people who have not secured their privacy settings. Several adults I know have been alerted ( via friends second hand through friend’s children) of inappropriate pictures, comments, etc. of middle and high-school kids.</p>
<p>Often times physicians do change their views on a number of issues as they progress through post-graduate training, but my experience tells me many are not thinking of the long term marketing or future employment prospects for themselves with some of the pictures described in the earlier posts.</p>
<p>I am concerned there is an entire generation of people whose primary form of communication is email, “texting”, instant messaging and cell phone conversations. While telecommuting is increasing popular, personal interaction will always be critical in areas such as law, teaching and medicine.</p>
<p>But why the necessity to share all one’s party moments with all your friends? THat I just don’t understand, for adults to have to publicize with their friends on the web what they did on a Saturday night- Why?</p>
<p>I can understand, to a degree High School students desire to share, but adults needing to share drunken inane pictures of themselves with each other is jsut stupid.</p>
<p>which means anyone who gets in trouble for it pretty much deserves it… though I dont really care what my doctor does on his off time as long as he’s good at practicing medicine</p>
<p>The whole point is that many of these studens don’t have it on the privacy or friends only setting. Given they are close to the point of entrance into their professional life, they should keep their private life and related conversations between friends and not the entire world.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine going to a bbq with my adult friends, and we are talking about adults here, thought they are “students” and getting smashed and showing off my pictures online to each other. Hey look at you with the martini glass on your head!!! Just because you are young doesn’t mean you can’t have some common sense. And this desire to document all stupid activities…I just don’t get</p>
<p>Actually, I think those using the privacy settings are the more likely to have stuff they don’t want others seeing on their pages and setting themselves up for more trouble than those who don’t use privacy settings and so don’t have any sense of false security (as even with privacy settings, “friends” share the pages with lots of people who the initial “friend” has never even met…I know our son was recently told by a friend he’s had for years, “I have showed your facebook photo to a bunch of people and over and over again they say things like, ‘Yup, he looks special’” and our son didn’t even think to ask, “What are you doing showing my page to other people?”). It’s best if people use a privacy setting but ALSO try to keep their pages such that they wouldn’t be upset if an employer, parent, or (future) child ever saw what was on there. What gets tough here is how <em>other</em> people can post photos and messages as they wish on your own page and countless people can view it before you ever even know what’s there if you’ve not checked your own facebook page before those people do.</p>
<p>I was assuming that we are talking about the UF med students who are members of the UF Facebook network. The UF Facebook network, Soozievt, is only viewable by other members of the UF network (which you need a valid UF email address in order to join). It is true that some of these students could additionally have joined regional networks, which–without privacy settings–are viewable to a much larger group; however, I believe in this article, which speaks about students, we are primarily talking about med students who are members of the UF network.</p>
<p>I think in this article we are talking about the UF med students who are members of the UF Facebook network. The UF Facebook network, Soozievt, is only viewable by other members of the UF network (which you need a valid UF email address in order to join). So if I tried to Facebook a UF med student, I wouldn’t be able to see the page, unless the student additionally joined a regional network with no security that I also belonged to. (And I have to say, I know many students with no privacy settings on their college networks, but I can only think of one or two people who don’t have privacy settings on regional networks, which by definition are much more public. Remember that these current med students had Facebook during college, so they’re more used to it than the current residents who MidwestMom mentioned.) It is true that some of these students could additionally have joined regional networks, which–without privacy settings–are viewable to a much larger group; however, I believe in this article, which speaks about students, we are primarily talking about med students who are members of the UF network.</p>
<p>The fact of the matter is that these pages can and are potentially reviewed by employers, the government or others interested in seeing what they can find. A member of that particular community could be retained to scan the pages of potential applicants. </p>
<p>Privacy settings are weak security at best.</p>