Twitter is a social media channel that allows users to connect according to their shared interests, and the academic surgery community is no different. For the final installment of our 2018 #FollowFriday series, we’re interviewing three of our most Twitter-enthusiastic residents, as well as one of our training program directors, about how they use the platform to stay connected and how they engage with content.
Read our previous installment in the series here.
Social Media Tips from @UABSurgery:
- Thread your tweets to elaborate on a topic by using the “+” button or replying to each of your own tweets with the next one in the sequence. Although Twitter increased the character limit for individual tweets from 140 to 280 last year, connecting your tweets in a thread is still a useful function of the platform if you want to tell a story or provide additional information.
- Mentioning too many accounts in a tweet or reply can make your tweet seem like spam. One workaround for this problem is to include a relevant photo in your post and tag those accounts in the photo, though users can block this feature in their privacy settings.
- Follow your fellow UAB Department of Surgery faculty and other accounts with similar goals to your own.
- There are several Lists available from the @UABSurgery account. Use these to follow our faculty, trainees or other suggested accounts. If you would like to add your account to one of these lists or if you would like your account removed from one of these lists, email annawaters@uabmc.edu. Note that private accounts cannot be added to lists.
Learn more about social media best practices from UAB’s Brand and Communication Toolkit, and don't forget to follow @UABSurgery on Twitter.
Margaux Mustian, M.D.
Research Resident
UAB General Surgery Residency Program
- Handle: @margauxnmustian
- Followers: 222
- Tweets: 138
Why do you use Twitter? Twitter provides a great avenue to identify and read newly published articles, hear from leaders in the field of surgery, connect with and follow academic surgical societies (such as the Association for Academic Surgery), and stay up-to-date on all of the happenings at our own institution.
What do you tweet about? Primarily, I tweet to highlight the great work being done by all of the UAB Department of Surgery faculty and residents. I also like to promote the research done by other members of the health services lab that I am fortunate to be a part of (@UAB_TEAM, led by Dr. Jayme Locke). We truly do have a great team in the lab, and it is fun to showcase everyone’s contributions and dedication!
Robert Hollis, M.D.
Administrative Chief Resident
UAB General Surgery Residency Program
- Handle: @rhhollis
- Followers: 420
- Tweets: 404
Why do you use Twitter? I use Twitter – often while waiting on elevators or walking between floors – to learn about impactful publications, controversies in the field, and innovative surgical concepts. It has introduced me to several people at national meetings who I never would have otherwise met.
What do you tweet about? Though I am more a consumer than publisher on Twitter, I like to tweet about research that I am passionate about and highlight the work of my colleagues.
Samantha Baker, M.D.
Research Resident
UAB General Surgery Residency Program
- Handle: @SamanthaBaker__
- Followers: 184
- Tweets: 138
Why do you use Twitter? I use Twitter to keep up with current surgical literature. Many journals tweet visual abstracts that are snapshots of referenced papers, which helps you find articles that you might be interested in or that are relevant to your field. I also like to use to Twitter to shout-out my colleagues and their accomplishments. It is an easy way to let the internet know all the amazing things they are doing!
What do you tweet about? Honestly, I really only tweet about two things, UAB Surgery and the New Orleans Saints – WHO DAT.
Benjamin J. Pearce, M.D.
Director, Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency and Fellowship Programs
Associate Professor, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy
UAB Department of Surgery
Personal Account
- Handle: @HawkeyeBJP
- Followers: 207
- Tweets: 245
Institutional Account
- Handle: @UABVascular
- Followers: 796
- Tweets: 452
Pearce runs his personal Twitter account, as well as a Twitter account created exclusively to promote the UAB Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency and Fellowship. As an administrator for both types of accounts, Pearce has a unique take on how to manage each.
How do you use the @UABVascular account and your personal Twitter account differently?
I mostly use the @UABVascular account to document the awesome opportunities our trainees have and to support our sister/brother programs in all specialties and all training institutions in the work they are doing. My intent for the institutional account is to be promotional and encouraging.
However, running an institutional social media account is very different from running a personal social media account. An institutional account is a lot of additional responsibility and takes a lot of time to maintain. Per UAB’s policy, institutional accounts have to be ready to respond to any messages or comments within 24 hours, have to post regularly, and have to keep a professional, unbiased tone.
In fact, the genesis of my personal account arose because I started to get a view into what is being posted in the medical world through my connection with @UABVascular. And, quite frankly, some of these topics are controversial, and I did not want to editorialize from an institutional standpoint. I set up a second Twitter account because I don’t feel that we should use institutional accounts for editorial purposes. In general, the idea of “liking” something implies inherent consent, and as such, I try to limit our institutional exposure to statements that could be considered controversial.
However, I feel very strongly about some issues, especially regarding the application of certain technologies among patients who have limited understanding of the natural history of their disease. Using my personal account, I can engage in, hopefully, meaningful debate on these subjects as an individual and not be seen as representing the views of my institution. Sometimes, you also just need to say something funny, and that is better coming from me than a UAB account.
[Note: Follower and tweet counts as of Dec. 14, 2018. Marina Moody contributed to this report.]