There are certain doctors on social media whose popularity and influence really stands out. One of those doctors is Dr Doris Day, American Dermatologist and “Doctor of Self Esteem”.

IMCAS Academy spoke to Dr Day to gain some insights on how she makes social media work for her.

When and how did you first realize the professional potential in using social media?

I have had a website since 1998. It was very helpful for me because both potential patients found it interesting but also the media found me from my website and it brought me magazine and TV interviews. At that time there were not very many doctors with websites and it was easy to stand out. Today it's the norm to have a website and they are often very professionally done. I am now also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and starting on Snap Chat. I do all my own posting and I post things that either I am featured in or that I find interesting. I only found it to be helpful professionally when I reached a threshold of presence where my posts started to come up more. That took about a year and it takes work to maintain it. I find it very interesting and fun to come up with content so for me it's not work, it's a nice extra. The more I do, the easier it gets.

What do you consider to be the main benefits/ opportunities in having a strong presence on Twitter as a dermatologist?

It helps people find you and learn more about you. It's a way to reach your audience directly with the information you want them to have. It's always helpful to add a photo or link to your tweet in order to get more people to see and engage with it.

What particular challenges does having a strong social media presence pose to medical professionals and how do you deal with such challenges?

It is always best if you do your own posting on all these sites, or most of the posting. This makes it authentic and will give better results. It can be time consuming and it takes time to learn and get good at it, but it gets easier the more you do it and there are ways to schedule posts so you can do it a few times a week and decide when they go up.

How would you define your approach to social media and Twitter in particular?

I do a combination of original posts and sharing from posts I put on Instagram and Facebook. I try to add a link or a photo to make the tweet more visible and to increase interaction. I use Twitter for "headlines" and quick information- what I'm doing, where I am, places they can find me doing something interesting like my radio show or at a meeting. I also share posts that I like from Twitter and I think that shows my personality. I always stay away from politics and things that are controversial outside of medicine.

What has surprised you about using Twitter in your professional life?

I was surprised at how different it was from the other forms of social media. It is a very crowded and busy space and getting people to see and engage in tweets is challenging and takes effort.

To what extent do you use Twitter to stay informed about the latest developments in dermatology?

I find it very useful since there are many links and articles and videos that get posted there. It is a news source and useful in that way.

What advice would you give to dermatologists who are uncertain how to create effective content for social media?

Start slow and build. Pick one that looks most interesting and fun to you and start adding content. As you go you can build on the next one.

What do you predict for the future when it comes to the impact of social media on dermatology and dermatologists’ use of social media as a tool?

It will have a greater and greater impact and there will be expectations of improved content and useful information.

Dr Day will be one of the experts speaking at our upcoming webinar "#plasticsurgery and #dermatology – Using Twitter to engage and educate". Join us on March 29th for this exciting opportunity to gain social media tips and exchange directly with Dr Day and other experts.