Social Networking to Recruit Tomorrow's Physicians

On Facebook, any of your fans can comment on your page, so there is a risk that someone will post something inappropriate, but it’s not likely, Peterson says. Most fans are residents, alumni, or candidates, and they are smart enough not to jeopardize their position within the program by posting something unprofessional. Additionally, administrators typically have the ability to delete comments if necessary. 

Keep it fresh; keep it real 

One of the rules for attaining success in social networking is to ensure that the content on your site is always current. Develop a plan for updating the page. Reach out to residents and faculty members to add content. 

“Try to get several different people involved. Create ownership with residents and senior staff. It will create less work for the coordinator in the long run and it makes your page more dynamic because more people are involved,” Peterson says.

Identify residents or other staff members who are avid social networking users in their personal lives and ask them to contribute to the program’s site. 

“We have several staff members who have come on board who are willing to post updates periodically,” says Peterson, adding that many attending physicians in his program use Twitter. They have linked their Twitter posts to the program’s Facebook page so their tweets appear on both Twitter and Facebook.