Discuss Latest WCI Blog Post: Please Don’t Post Stupid Things on Social Media–Or You Might Never Practice Medicine Again

[Tim]

I need to go find it. I think it is under the bed..................needs to be available. Really hope I never need it. I gave away my golf clubs. I played a lot as a kid. was on golf team in HS. Really got sick of it and feel in love with fishing.

Use a fish.
https://youtu.be/8hNoCFnkpc4

[MPMD]

full disclosure i have never seen this student's name, probably clues some of you in to the media outlets i consume, not that any regular would be surprised by this info.

that being said, while i would never participate in a pile-on of a student (esp as a fac member of a med school) i think this just highlights the central issue. there really isn't much of a debate in my mind as to whether or not people should have access to someone's name in this situation -- the person took to a public forum SPECIFICALLY built around attracting attention and said what they said. if they have not chosen anonymity on twitter i really don't think there's a reasonable case to be made to try to put the cat back in the bag.

this is one of the things i've come to hate the most about social media. there are so many people who are so wrapped up in these platforms who have these weird demands for free expression (only in the case of people they agree with) combined with a desperate, frankly almost violent need never to be criticized. then you end up with people on these platforms who simultaneously want to be as provocative as possible but are truly child-like in their ability to tolerate even a raised eyebrow.

curious if this will show up on their dean's letter.

[jacoavlu]

full disclosure i have never seen this student's name, probably clues some of you in to the media outlets i consume, not that any regular would be surprised by this info.

that being said, while i would never participate in a pile-on of a student (esp as a fac member of a med school) i think this just highlights the central issue. there really isn't much of a debate in my mind as to whether or not people should have access to someone's name in this situation -- the person took to a public forum SPECIFICALLY built around attracting attention and said what they said. if they have not chosen anonymity on twitter i really don't think there's a reasonable case to be made to try to put the cat back in the bag.

this is one of the things i've come to hate the most about social media. there are so many people who are so wrapped up in these platforms who have these weird demands for free expression (only in the case of people they agree with) combined with a desperate, frankly almost violent need never to be criticized. then you end up with people on these platforms who simultaneously want to be as provocative as possible but are truly child-like in their ability to tolerate even a raised eyebrow.

curious if this will show up on their dean's letter.

all fine

there is no restricted access to find her name. No one is putting the cat back in the bag.

Still no good reason to use her real name in this discussion. It serves no purpose Take the high road.

[AR]

Hmm, I heard about this incident before it became a blog post on WCI. At the time, I thought the conspicuous use of pronouns on a name tag was performative virtue signaling and the multiple needle sticks were deliberate harm to a patient with different political beliefs.

Posters on this forum have caused me to revisit those knee-jerk judgments. Sometimes it is difficult to get the vein on the first try. One shouldn’t presume malice where incompetence (or in this case inexperience) would suffice. It certainly doesn’t seem like a bad attempt at finding a vein and an inelegant tweet should keep a fourth year U.S. med student from matching to a residency and being able to pay off his or her med school debt.

No need to cite the med student’s name here and make it overly personal. Take good care of your patients, don’t post dumb things on the internet, and don’t default to thinking the worst of the intentions and motivation of people whose worldview might be different than your own.

Not clear if you are/were also rethinking bolded, but if not, you probably should.

[bovie]

Not clear if you are/were also rethinking bolded, but if not, you probably should.

It’s a name tag. Not a pronoun tag.

[AR]

It’s a name tag. Not a pronoun tag.

You should have a look at your own name tag sometime. I assure you it has something on there other than your name.

I guess that makes it not a name tag.

[xraygoggles]

One shouldn’t presume malice where incompetence (or in this case inexperience) would suffice.

Hanlon's razor.

[bovie]

You should have a look at your own name tag sometime. I assure you it has something on there other than your name.

I guess that makes it not a name tag.

Which do you think is more relevant to a patient—my credentials, or my pronoun?

Or perhaps you think those things are equivalent in importance?

Let’s call it a badge, to make you happy. Though of course you know it’s the same thing.

Perhaps I can throw my favorite food and hometown on there too, get the ski lift operator vibe going.

Or some flair! Ha, wait…yeah they’re doing that already. More virtue signaling. Human bumper stickers.

The things that go on a name tag—sorry, badge—at a place of work go on there for a reason. Name, credentials, institution.

Pronouns don’t go there. Not necessary.

And as I believe someone said at the beginning of this—if you put something outside of those necessities on there by choice, right in the face of every single patient you see, then you are inviting comment and you better deal with those comments professionally.

[AR]

Let’s call it a badge, to make you happy.

Well, let's not forget that you're the one who called it a name tag.

Pronouns don’t go there. Not necessary.

This is really where you need to re-examine your inherent biases. It's definitely a stretch to claim that how one wishes to be addressed is not appropriate on a form of identification.

Virtue signaling would be something like a note that said "I support trans people". If that was on an ID badge, that would be virtue signaling.

The pronouns, on the other hand, have a functional purpose. It's more than just signaling.

[bovie]

It's definitely a stretch to claim that how one wishes to be addressed is not appropriate on a form of identification.

That’s what “Doctor” is for.

Or maybe, oh, I don’t know…your name.

[AR]

That’s what “Doctor” is for.

Or maybe, oh, I don’t know…your name.

I don't know what planet you live on, but when normal people have conversations talking about what their doctor said or did, they tend to use pronouns.

[bovie]

I don't know what planet you live on, but when normal people have conversations talking about what their doctor said or did, they tend to use pronouns.

The planet where if a physician’s main concern about a patient is whether or not that patient is addressing them by their preferred pronoun, then they probably shouldn’t be a physician.

[AR]

The planet where if a physician’s main concern about a patient is whether or not that patient is addressing them by their preferred pronoun, then they probably shouldn’t be a physician.

No one said it is the main concern. Generally a physician's main concern about a patient isn't whether they address them as "Doctor" or even get their name correct. Yet somehow those things get on a badge. It's funny how that works. It's almost like the badge has nothing to do with a physicians "main concern" about a patient (which I assume, for most of us, is the patient's health).

[bovie]

No one said it is the main concern.

Well you certainly could have fooled me. Guess it’s not that big of a deal after all then.

Name, credentials, institution. Nice and simple.

Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

[AR]

Well you certainly could have fooled me.

I'm not sure how. Were you not actually reading the posts?

Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

Like I said, you should try to have real conversations with actual people without pronouns. Or Mr./Ms. (Of course, doctor only works for doctors) or even something like sir. The conversations the people on your planet have sure are strange.

Also, while you are workshopping what's wrong with pronouns as you bounce around from "virtue signaling" to "not necessary" to "main concern" could you tell us what the detriment to them is? Let's assume for a second that they are useless, then what's the downside? The cost of ID printer ink?