The Changing Face of Pathology: Using Twitter to Enhance Learning

Every now and then during sign-out, a case gives Raul S. Gonzalez, MD, reason to pause. Maybe it's difficult to diagnose, and has a challenging differential. Maybe it’s a particularly strange or rare entity. Or, even a perfect example of a common diagnosis. So, occasionally, he posts such cases on Twitter to foster discussion with other pathologists around the world.

“These cases have high teaching value,” says Dr. Gonzalez, staff pathologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. “Something about these cases makes people want to share their thoughts. I've had great conversations with pathologists, physicians in other fields, and even patients as a result of posting these cases. Some of the best moments in social media are when the content I post leads to me learning something.”

Dr. Gonzalez recently placed first in the “Open Category” of the inaugural #PathTweetAward, a grassroots effort designed to encourage pathologists around the world to share their knowledge with colleagues on Twitter. The #PathTweetAward included three other winners: Angel Panizo, MD, PhD, runner up in the Open Category, and in the Trainee Category, Tiffany Graham, MD, first place, and Mariam Molani, MD, second place.

All four were recognized for tweets demonstrating exemplary educational value. The recognition comes with a monetary award that was raised via online crowdsourcing. It is the brainchild of Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, MD, who is part of an expanding movement to use social media to share educational pearls related to medical cases. 

“Other than being the first crowdfunded online award in pathology, the #PathTweetAward is different from traditional awards in that it’s completely open and transparent about its purpose, funding and methods,” he said. “Virtually everything since its inception has been posted online in full public view.”

The use of social media for educational purposes has gained momentum amongst pathology trainees. Dr. Graham, (known to the Twitter world as @HeartPathology), describes her award-winning tweet- a summary of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - as “a visually-pleasing infographic to summarize 1,000 words read in a textbook.” She started making “High Yield Reviews” in preparation for her upcoming board exams and to prepare for clinical rotations.

“When creating a ‘High Yield Review,’ I am forced to see the big picture before getting bogged down with minutiae and subtleties between various entities. This has been tremendous for solidifying my pathology knowledge base and bridging the gap between what the textbooks say and what we actually see under the microscope,” she said.

A few years ago, using social media in the medical workplace would have been labeled as a professional lapse in judgment. Now, increasing numbers of physicians of all specialties are embracing social media for its potential to teach. The use of social media is not intimidating for the younger generation of doctors, who grew up learning on digital platforms. “It is a natural way for us to share interesting cases, research, and educational resources,” says Dr. Molani.

Her featured #PathTweetAward case—a hand-drawn note on mesothelioma—was part of a larger series of digital flash cards she created to study various tumors and disease processes. She shared the image on Twitter, hardly thinking anyone would be interested in her first-year residency notes. The response to her post was overwhelmingly positive. “Twitter has become a phenomenal resource for residents; it has connected me with the ‘influencers’ in the field of pathology and exposed me to a wealth of information about our multifaceted specialty,” she says. 

One of the great advantages of using Twitter to discuss cases is the immediacy, interaction, and discussion of the case in real-time. “The posted cases generate an enormous volume of information,” Dr. Panizo says. “When you read, share and respond, you learn, teach and participate in the generation of knowledge, which is open and universal.”

Follow the winners at @RaulSGonzalezMD; @angelpanizo1; @HeartPathology; and @drmarmolani.