Learning from others’ experiences is an important aspect of professional development in surgery. That’s why academic surgical departments across the globe hold weekly Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences that gather surgeons together to review particular cases and share ideas for improving their practice.
Surgeons Are Using Social Media to Share and Learn New Skills
Learning from others’ experiences is an important aspect of professional development in surgery. Yet, as the field has grown – both in number of surgeons, and in their dispersion across countries – surgeons are less able to rely on casual hallway conversations and conferences to learn from each other and stay up-to-date with new techniques or practices. Enter social media. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for keeping surgeons connected. A variety of social media groups exist to facilitate surgeons’ interactions, enhance their practice, and improve patient outcomes. But despite the potential of social media communities for surgical education, there are still several significant managerial and legal barriers to the broad adoption of these platforms.