I had a Twitter exchange yesterday centered on the question of whether we should behave differently, or hold things back, as doctors using social media.

It’s an interesting question when you consider that our personal and professional lives are increasingly difficult to keep separate.  For the most part, my personal and professional presence are one in the same.

To answer the question: I’m different in public.  I hold plenty in.  And not all of it has to do with my occupation.

Like many professionals, my right to share ideas in public is balanced with a responsibility to my community.  Lots of parents trust me with their kids.  That trust is critical to their confidence in my decisions.  I work in a large community of other professionals within Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.  There are people who depend upon me to keep a certain level of balance and equanimity to my public face.  I’m responsible to others so I consider carefully the things I say and the conversations I join.  Of course, I’ve made plenty of mistakes.  And opinions vary regarding what constitutes professional conduct in these new spaces.

If I were an accountant, I suspect that I would be no less concerned.

What say you?