Social Media Plan

Social media presence is a personal choice and varies a lot among Medical Radiologic Technologists (MRTs) globally (Alanzi & Alshahrani 2018). I personally decided to limit my presence to LinkedIn which helps me with professional networking while having limited distractions and less risk. It is important to balance between the benefits of social media and the inherent risks associated with it.

Our regulatory body The Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists (ACMDTT) has published social media guidelines for MRTs in Alberta (The Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists [ACMDTT], 2020) which is a great resource, especially for practitioners who are very active on various social media platforms. The appropriate social media presence for healthcare practitioners should be guided by their code of ethics and must maintain responsibility, professionalism and boundaries (ACMDTT, 2020).

As an MRT myself I am not obligated to speak in public as part of practicing the profession or even teaching it. However, MRTs are lifelong learners and need to adhere to the continuing competency program set by regulatory bodies. This could involve public speaking to share knowledge, participate in research or advocate for our profession.

References

Alanzi, T. M., & Alshahrani, B. (2018). Use of social media in the Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 11, 583–589. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S175440

Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists (ACMDTT). (2020). Social Media Guidelines for MRTs and ENPs in Alberta. https://acmdtt.com/wp-content/uploads/Social-Media-Guidelines.pdf