Facebook Accounts

[Apply Pressure]

Much needed topic of discussion...

A lot has been made recently about deactivating Facebook accounts prior to applying for residency. Is this really necessary if your profile is heavily privacy restricted and appears mostly professional anyway? I just don't see the need to cut myself off from a useful internet utility to keep in touch with my friends (which are all over the country) for nearly half a year for the sake of *maybe* being searched by a program director.

I realize that the safest option is to just get off if there is a doubt, but just wanted some opinions. I'm certain that this affects virtually everyone these days, so definitely worth a discussion. Thanks

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[synapse lapse]

Just set your profile as unsearchable if you are that concerned. I don't think it's a big deal unless you got some crazy stuff on your profile. Even then just make it all only so friends can view it. Problem solved.

 

[tfom08]

I am just taking down all the liberal profanity on my profile page and deleting my photo albums from bachelor parties, strip clubs, and bong parties, or anywhere else that I did stuff that I am usually wouldn't want residency programs to see.

Seriously though, we are one year away from officially being medical professionals, what kind of stuff do you have on facebook that you don't want people to see? I don't think a picture of you having a beer with friends is going to keep you out of a residency. The picture of you snorting blow off a stripper probably shouldn't be on facebook anyway.

 

[Smashweasel]

If you are afraid of someone seeing it maybe it shouldn't be up anyway. Set your profile to private. I dropped the pics of myself in Halloween drag just in case😀

 

[PirateHotel]

I don't know if it's just paranoid med student myth, but I have heard from a reliable source that Programs have some way of accessing facebook pages despite privacy settings... I can't see how this is possible...

I assume it's been blown out of proportion and what they are referring to is a program director or someone else being on the same network as the applicant and the privacy settings allowing people on the same network to see their page.

I still would take any pictures down that might hurt you if taken out of context..

 

[doc20]

I would also think if some idiot med student is friends with pd or something and let him access to his account and that way they just access to see it easily

 

[Nicholaus]

The picture of you snorting blow off a stripper probably shouldn't be on facebook anyway.

So I guess I should delete that one......lol