Could making a popular medical/premedical page on Instagram possibly help with admissions?

[Yamhead]

I'm just wondering if it would add up to my profile to make a medical social media page. It would be mainly about the progress of medicine these days, premed/med student motivation, etc. Considering I can get it to be popular, do you think admissions would see it as a plus having 25k+ followers on this page? Could you guys share your thoughts, I'm sure they would be of value to me. I appreciate it.

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[Med Ed]

Why would someone follow this?

 

[El-Rami]

No one would care.

 

[EaglesontheWarpath]

This thread should go where that "furry" thread went.

 

[piii]

If you search the #premed tag on IG, you just get a lot of premed bio majors wearing scrubs, white coats, surgical masks, and steths around in public. These would be your followers.

 

[Deleted member 755173]

Would you put "Instagram famous" on your application?

 

[haaaaaaaaaaveyoumetted]

"What's the easiest way to add an extracurricular without doing anything"

 

[JustAPhD]

Can't imagine any adcom caring that you're more internet famous than the average bear.


Although I do complement you on a killer avatar.

 

[Med Ed]

Can't imagine any adcom caring that you're more internet famous than the average bear.

On the other hand, putting together something engaging enough to attract 25,000 followers would be an interesting accomplishment. I just don't think it's possible unless you convince 25,000 premeds that following this account somehow helps their chances of admission. Essentially the Who's Who model.

 

[Yamhead]

Would you put "Instagram famous" on your application?

That's certainly not the point. It's not about fame, it's about being up to date with medical research and showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor. It's definitely a side thing. That doesn't stop me from shadowing or volunteering regularly at all. What do you think?

 

[Yamhead]

Why would someone follow this?

Thank you for your quick reply and question, I appreciate it. There are many Premeds out there that would be interested in being updated with and health and medical research and findings. This page would offer that and occasional motivation for premeds who go through a lot of stress. What do you think? I do appreciate your response.

 

[Med Ed]

Not necessarily. The reputation of SDN as a place for premeds to brawl with insults, unprofessional behavior, and misinformation has made many, if not most adcoms, have a low opinion. Other sites I have been involved with have had more professional tone and are well regarded by schools. So the reputation of the site would matter,

I certainly have seen nontrads blog their path to medicine extensively and list those on an EC.

Yeah, but this is Instagram. Scroll, scroll, double tap, scroll, scroll...

 

[Med Ed]

Thank you for your quick reply and question, I appreciate it. There are many Premeds out there that would be interested in being updated with and health and medical research and findings. This page would offer that and occasional motivation for premeds who go through a lot of stress. What do you think? I do appreciate your response.

Tell you what, start the account and come back when you hit 1K followers.

 

[Yamhead]

Can't imagine any adcom caring that you're more internet famous than the average bear.


Although I do complement you on a killer avatar.

Haha, thanks. Also, being internet famous is certainly not the point. it's about being up to date with medical research and showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor. It's definitely a side thing. That doesn't stop me from shadowing or volunteering regularly at all. What do you think?

 

[JustAPhD]

Haha, thanks. Also, being internet famous is certainly not the point. it's about being up to date with medical research and showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor. It's definitely a side thing. That doesn't stop me from shadowing or volunteering regularly at all. What do you think?

I do understand your thought process. But it would be like telling them about your SND profile if you have >1000 "likes". I just feel like there are better and less risky ways to demonstrate your motivation and dedication to be a physician.

 

[rednote]

No.

 

[Yamhead]

I do understand your thought process. But it would be like telling them about your SND profile if you have >1000 "likes". I just feel like there are better and less risky ways to demonstrate your motivation and dedication to be a physician.

I appreciate your response.
Yeah, I see where you're coming from. What do you suggest to demonstrate my motivation and dedication to be a physician?

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor

Ultimately, if you want to do this, go for it. Just don't expect it to give you any sort of advantage in admissions. I'm not even sure that I'd recommend mentioning it on your application. Even if you got to the point where you could say, "I have 25k followers on Instagram," I'm still not sure that that's a very significant accomplishment. There are much, much, much, MUCH better ways of showing your motivation to be a doctor.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

What do you suggest to demonstrate my motivation and dedication to be a physician?

Your ECs (the ones that go beyond social media!). If you're motivated and passionate about being a doctor, go volunteer in healthcare setting. Shadow some doctors so that you can start getting a sense of what the job actually entails. Figure out what it is that you love about medicine and what you have to offer as a future doctor and do a good job of conveying this in your personal statement and secondary essays.

Oh, and study like mad so that you have the stats to get into medical school.

 

[dontbelievemejustwatch]

You could start an actual blog if you're serious, Instagrams a bad medium because it's scroll scroll double tap

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using SDN mobile

 

[meditative_premed]

You could start an actual blog if you're serious, Instagrams a bad medium because it's scroll scroll double tap

I was going to suggest making a blog, too. Instagram is kind of a childish medium compared to a legit blog, which you could give a very professional feel. But I still don't know if I would mention this on your actual application...it depends how the person reviewing your app feels about social media?

 

[Terry Toma]

But it would be like telling them about your SND profile if you have >1000 "likes".

Exactly. Everyone knows that like to post ratio is the metric that adcoms key on.

In seriousness, develop the idea a bit further and you might have something, OP. If you do start a blog (as suggested by others), you can use social media to drive visitors to your content.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Wait. Let me start some social media page and then go to one of those sites where you can buy 100 followers for $10.

That is totally a legit EC.

 

[ZX10R]

Oh lol, are you suggesting you should be accepted/looked at better based on instagram likes? ADCOMs are mostly old 'cept for the bored MS4 volun-told to do it and they would just look at you funny if you brought that up (I know I would).

Now if you created an outreach program that helped underserved/homeless get healthcare that would look good.

 

[Yamhead]

Oh lol, are you suggesting you should be accepted/looked at better based on instagram likes? ADCOMs are mostly old 'cept for the bored MS4 volun-told to do it and they would just look at you funny if you brought that up (I know I would).

Now if you created an outreach program that helped underserved/homeless get healthcare that would look good.

Thanks for the advice, makes sense.

 

[Mansamusa]

A blog/ig also opens you up to a lot of scrutiny by adcoms

Your blog will veer towards negative and/or political if you want to honestly talk about the state of medicine and med student motivation. Just look at KevinMD

Like this: Med students are more likely to be alcohol abusers, especially single students with high debt loads and then they recommend "wellness" programs to alleviate stress rather than focus on minimizing debt when that is obviously the major contributor, hahaha
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160314111353.htm

Or how the ACGME is meeting in Chicago this week to decide whether or not to lift the ban restricting the hours you can work in residency.

I would like a blog that brings together all these kinds of news, lobbying/policy news, etc., so I don't have to go to all my different sources each day. But if you comment on the articles, you risk polarizing adcoms who read it

If you want to focus on only the positives of medicine, you get something like the PremedLife magazine, which has some of the most mind-numbing and naive articles I've ever read

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Often I think I've heard all the outrageous pre-med questions someone can come up with... Then SDN rises up and delivers time and time again

 

[LizzyM]

That's certainly not the point. It's not about fame, it's about being up to date with medical research and showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor. It's definitely a side thing. That doesn't stop me from shadowing or volunteering regularly at all. What do you think?

Want to stay up to date on medical research? Subscribe to the "table of content" emails from New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. Read the column in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesdays that runs a paragraph on each of 4 or 5 recent studies and provides a "yes, but" commentary on how the study results may be flawed. The NYTimes also has valid and reliable articles on scientific advances and health written for the lay public. Are you planning to share those primary & secondary sources or will you have other sources. If you are only a pre-med, how will you curate a collection of research papers on scientific advances? I don't get the point.

Far better that you go out and talk to real people. Learn about their lives and their needs. Find a way to serve them whether it is tutoring their kids, cooking and serving meals when they can't afford it themselves, or welcoming them into a place where they can get the health and social services they need.

 

[ortnakas]

On the other hand, putting together something engaging enough to attract 25,000 followers would be an interesting accomplishment. I just don't think it's possible unless you convince 25,000 premeds that following this account somehow helps their chances of admission. Essentially the Who's Who model.

The only way I can see this working is if you truly unique art skills - like Mike Natter's study comics. But even then (and he's legitimately internet-famous), I doubt he's planning on that mattering as much as his scores and evals.

Haha, thanks. Also, being internet famous is certainly not the point. it's about being up to date with medical research and showing that I'm quite motivated to be a doctor. It's definitely a side thing. That doesn't stop me from shadowing or volunteering regularly at all. What do you think?

I don't think an instagram account is going to convey this. I think you show you're motivated to be a doctor by PARTICIPATING in research, volunteering, etc-- not by posting about it.

 

[Med Ed]

Oh lol, are you suggesting you should be accepted/looked at better based on instagram likes?

Not likes, followers. I maintain that acquiring 25K followers on a premedical Instagram account would take talent and perseverance. I do not think it is possible, and therefore a dead issue, but I'm all for you young whippersnappers proving me wrong.

 

[starspells]

I don't know why it didn't occur to me that adcoms probably have instagram accounts too...

Remember to change your IG name during the app cycle folks...