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Med Students Get In Trouble Through Social Media
For the longest time, doctors have been seen as some of society's most respected members, but today that distinction is getting blurry at best. The conduct of some Med students in the United States are worrying their seniors, and many fear it's much worse than it appears.
A new survey conducted among several major medical schools in the United States found a much higher number of incidents of inappropriate behavior and unprofessional conduct in medical schools. What's worse, the reported incidents were only those that reached the deans' attentions -- which is likely only the tip of the iceberg.
Many of the reported unprofessional incidents were posted on the Internet. For instance, a quick YouTube search would net you several videos made by medical students. Most are harmless -- musical numbers, for instance -- while a few are really disturbing.
One of them, a prank involving a dead body, caught the attention of many medical professionals lately. It's not known whether the cadaver was real, but even if it wasn't, what does such a video make you think? Exactly -- maybe your doctor isn't really that serious with his work.
There are other stories, as well. Some medical students post patient information on the Internet, whether on their Facebook pages or on their blogs -- obviously a breach of patient privacy. Others request inappropriate relationships with patients. Still others use profanity and even post photos of drug paraphernalia.
Sure, you could say that Med students aren't unlike every other kid on the Internet these days. But the situation is too serious to ignore -- all of a sudden, the medical profession doesn't seem so credible anymore.
But thankfully, deans and senior medical professionals are catching on to the online habits of their proteges. They're getting savvier with the Internet, blogging, and YouTube, as well as social media platforms like Facebook.
Hopefully this increased awareness will lead to better-behaved students, and much fewer embarrassments to one of the most respected professions in history.
