Doctor Sacked for Inappropriate Tweets
31 Jan 2019
A Resident Medical Officer (RMO) was recently fired from the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, for making anti-Semitic remarks on social media.
It was reported that in one of her tweets the RMO said she would purposely give the wrong medications to Jewish patients and in another she referred to Jewish people as “dogs”.
This case is a timely reminder that the professional standards for the conduct of doctors are the same whether interacting in person or online. And these standards apply to doctors’ personal social media use, and not just professional online interactions.
Remember that any information you post on your personal profile can easily be linked to you professionally.
Before posting it is worth asking:
What would my colleagues/employer/patients think if they read this?
This blog contains general information only. We recommend you contact your medical defence organisation or insurer when you require specific advice in relation to medico-legal matters.
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Dr Nick Coatsworth is an expert in health policy, public administration and a practising infectious diseases physician. He held a national role in the Australian response to COVID-19 as Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Australia, becoming one of the most recognised medical spokespeople during the pandemic. Nick engaged the Australian community through a variety of media platforms most notably as the spearhead of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Dr Micheal Gannon, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, sits down with Dr Nick Coatsworth to discuss Nick's medical career journey, and what insights and advice he has for junior doctors. MDA National would like to acknowledge the contributions of MDA National staff, Members, friends and colleagues in the production of the podcast and note that this work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under applicable copyright law, you may not reproduce the content of this podcast without the permission of MDA National. This podcast contains generic information only, is intended to stimulate thought and discussion, and doesn’t account for requirements of any particular individual. The content may contain opinions which are not necessarily those of MDA National. We recommend that you always contact your indemnity provider when you require specific advice in relation to your insurance policy or medico-legal matters. MDA National Members need to contact us for specific medico-legal advice on freecall 1800 011 255 or email advice@mdanational.com.au. We may also refer you to other professional services.
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