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We all have opinions — and physicians aren't the only ones sharing what they think about the hot-button topics of the day, including vaccines, the pandemic, politics, and global affairs, on social media.

Unfortunately, these posts don't always land well. In fact, according to Medscape Medical News' Physicians Behavior Report 2023, 21% of doctors reported seeing other physicians behaving inappropriately on social media, with one of the worst offenders being the contradiction of the use of vaccinations to prevent the spread of COVID and the implication vaccines lead to mortality and disability.

If you're a regular social media enthusiast, it bears repeating: Your posts can be a major liability, especially if you'll be applying for another job, planning to relocate, or even opening your own practice someday.

"We all know that most social media platforms aren't private," said Chris Mursau, president of TopGrading, a Lake Forest, Illinois-based company that helps firms build top-notch leadership teams. "Anyone can look at what you put out there, and what you may say on a Friday evening at a cocktail party with friends may or not be appropriate to post to the world."

To that end, Medscape Medical News asked Mursau and two other hiring experts who specialize in healthcare human resources (HR) to weigh in on whether your posts can hinder your career prospects and what to do — now — to recalibrate your social media presence if you've been posting controversial messaging.

Your Posts May Be Out of Step With Your Community

Everything you post, especially on public platforms like X and Instagram, can affect you, your practice, as well as your standing in your community.

"What you post is reflective of your reputation in the community," said Taylor Brewster, a partner marketing manager at HR for Health, an HR software company based in San Ramon, California, that specializes in hiring and performance management within the healthcare field. "Sure, you can Tweet your heart out, but you're not only affecting how your employees see you but how your patients see you, too."

With the diverse populations clinicians serve, it's become even more important to be sensitive about what you're expressing on social media.

"For example, I have a client where 85% of their population is Spanish-speaking," said Aeneas Robinson, group manager and psychiatry account executive at Barton Associates, a healthcare placement firm based in Peabody, Massachusetts. "In this instance, I don't want to hire a healthcare provider who is posting anything about border security or negative comments about immigration."

"Do physicians only want to treat people of a certain political tilt? I would argue the answer is no," he said. "If you are very passionate about politics and post as such, this could result in patients who have different opinions and therefore don't want to be helped by you."

The best bet, Mursau said, is to think about the impact your posts will have on your patients, your caseload, your practice, and your personal reputation as a physician.

Your iPhone Is an Open Portal

Consider that any hiring manager who wants to learn more about who you are when you're not in your white coat can access information about you with a touch of a keypad. All anyone needs is a smartphone.

"Anytime I add a provider's number into my phone, even if we have no mutual contacts, they show up on all of my social media platforms, and if their profiles are public, I can look at those," Robinson said. "If someone has something on their profile that doesn't align with the values or message the facility is trying to send, that could ruffle some feathers."

Most hiring managers will do precisely what Robinson suggested. They'll look at your social media platforms before beginning the interview process for a job, including locum tenens clinicians, especially if you're located far away from the HR team, are a relatively new doctor, or have a large social media presence.

"Social media accounts are something that any hiring manager should take into consideration," Brewster said. "When you're considering a new hire, you don't know how much reach this person has and what kind of statements they're putting out there. It all goes back to the potential these posts can have to hurt your practice."

Keep Posts Professional

Ultimately, if you're looking for a career change, and even when you're not, a good rule of thumb is for your social media presence to be as buttoned up as your LinkedIn profile.

"In fact, your personal brand should be the same across all of your social media platforms," Mursau said. "Use LinkedIn as an example of the tone you want to maintain across all social media channels, and it will serve you well throughout your career."

Another easy way to think about this is that your social media presence should be as serious as your curriculum vitae (CV), said Robinson.

"You want to make sure that your social media reflects the best of who you are," Robinson said. "In fact, I advise healthcare providers to consider social media to be the new digital CV."

Just be conscious about what you're posting — every single time you're on your favorite platform.

"My golden rule is that if you have to think about it, don't post it…," Robinson said.

Lambeth Hochwald is a New York City–based journalist who covers health, relationships, trends, and issues of importance to women. She's also a longtime professor at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.