What is Twitter? Twitter is a micro-blogging and social media website. It is referred to as "micro-blogging" because all of your messages, or "tweets" (similar to status updates on facebook) are limited to only 140 characters, including spaces. Twitter is even more powerful when used in conjunction with other networking and social media sites such as facebook and LinkedIn.
Why Use Twitter as a Medical Professional?
- Professional Networking: make valuable connections within the healthcare industry.
- Find a Medical Job: Many medical job sites, medical recruiting firms, and recruiters post jobs and search for candidates on Twitter.
- Gather and Share Medical Industry Information: With the wealth of medical professionals and healthcare experts on Twitter, you can follow the ones who apply to your area of medicine and receive regular updates and breaking news.
Connect with Medical Professionals, Employers, and Recruiters on Twitter
After you have created your Twitter account, which only takes about five minutes or less, you are now ready to begin connecting with medical professionals. The great thing about Twitter, in comparison to other networking sites such as LinkedIn and facebook, is that your connections do not have to approve you to follow them. They may choose not to follow your updates in return, but most professionals will eventually return the favor and follow you back. Even if they don't return the follow, you can reply to them and try to engage that person in conversation (more on that later).
Medical & Healthcare Accounts to Follow on Twitter:
Below is a list of a few accounts to begin following, as well as links to lists of medical professionals and institutions on Twitter you may want to follow as well.
- Andrea Santiago - About.com Health Careers
- MedTweeps - An account that follows other Twitter accounts of those within the medical field.
- HospitalGroup - This Twitter account follows the twitter accounts of hospitals and medical facilities.
Lists of Medical Professionals to Follow on Twitter:
- Top 100 Medical Professionals & Medical-Related Twitter Accounts: This list was assembled by a medical student, and includes twitter accounts of doctors, nurses, industry professionals, healthcare news sites, and more. List is divided by area of specialty, and includes national and international connections.
- Hospitals and Medical Facilities on Twitter - List of hospitals and their twitter accounts. Also includes Facebook accounts and websites of the medical facilities as well. Note: not all facilities on the list have Twitter accounts - a link is provided if there is an applicable twitter account.
- Top Recruiters on Twitter - Some of these recruiters are generalists, (recruiting within a variety of industries) and some specialize within the healthcare industry.
Medical & Healthcare News Sites to Follow on Twitter:
There are many healthcare news sites on Twitter, but here are a few to get you started:
- Maintain professionalism: If you are using your Twitter account for professional networking, and for job search, Tweet with caution! Avoid tweeting offensive, highly controversial, or politically charged material, as well as erroneous or misleading information which could be a turn-off to potential contacts. As with any other business communication or initial correspondence, don't give the recipient any reason to rule you out of consideration.
If you want to tweet on a personal level, you may want to create multiple Twitter accounts - one for professional purposes, and one for more personal use.
- Provide Value: You don't have to create or "tweet" all original material. If you see an interesting article about medicine or healthcare, pass it on. This shows others that you are always learning about your industry, and that you are willing to take the time to pass on the knowledge. Passing along interesting or valuable information also helps others, which will make them want to help you in return.
- Engage, and Reply: When you see an interesting tweet, especially from someone with whom you'd like to network, comment on their tweet, add to it, or pass it along. (This is called "Re-tweeting" which you may see as "RT" preceeding some tweets.) As long as you attribute it to the original source or tweeter, re-tweeting is a considered to be a favorable gesture and is generally appreciated. Replying and re-tweeting others can also help you get the attention of a contact who is not following your updates. They may then decide to follow you if they haven't already.
If there is a question or comment you'd like to make privately, you can send it as a direct message to the intended recipient (go to their profile and click on "message (account name)" to direct message someone. However you are unable to Direct Message (DM) someone who is not following your updates.
