JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Recent medical education literature surrounding professional identity development fail to reflect the impact social media has on professional identity theory. Social media is transforming the field of medicine, as the digital space is now an avenue for professional development and socialization for medical students and residents. Research regarding identity development in the digital space has been primarily confined to e-professionalism through best practices guidelines. This prior work, however, neglects other potential aspects pertinent to digital identity that have not yet been explored.

Objective:

We sought to define the properties and development of the digital self, and its interactions with current professional identity development theory.

Methods:

A qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. Seventeen participants who are social media education and knowledge translation experts were interviewed. A snowball sampling method was used following their respective semi-structured interviews. The research team consisted of a diverse group of researchers including one current social media knowledge translation physician clinician educator, one postdoctoral fellow immersed in social media and 3 non-physician research assistants who are not social media users. Half of the team conducted the initial coding and analysis, while the other two investigators conducted an audit of the procedure.

Results:

Four themes surrounding digital identity emerged from our analysis. First, origins of initial digital identity formation were found to be derived from perceived needs in professional roles (e.g. as a medical student or resident). The second theme consisted of the cultivation of digital identity, in which digital identity developed parallel to professional identity development. The third theme that emerged from our analysis was the management between the professional and personal components of digital identity. Participants initially preferred keeping these two completely separate; however, attempts to do so were inadequate while integration of both provided benefits. The last theme conveyed in the analysis was the management of in-real-life identity and digital identity. Our participants preferred in-real-life identity to be wholly represented online. Instances of misalignment resulted in identity conflict, compromising one of the identities.

Conclusions:

Social media introduces new features to professional identity in the digital space. The formation of digital identity, its development, and its reconciliation with other identities were features captured in our analysis. With the high importance of navigating professional identity development placed by educational institutions, the virtual component must not be neglected and, instead, further explored.