Social media has diversified from just being entertainment portals to also being educative and informational platforms. We now have doctors creating medical content on social media! They are transforming healthcare communication by making medical knowledge more accessible to the public. Doctors are leveraging platforms like Instagram to share valuable insights, debunk myths, and promote health awareness.
Combined with engaging and relatable content, their expertise helps demystify complex medical topics, enabling a broader audience to make informed health decisions. Balancing their offline practice with online content creation, not only enhances patient education but also builds trust and credibility towards doctors. They see their doctors’ commitment to spreading accurate medical information both online and offline.
In India, National Doctor’s Day is celebrated on July 1 every year in memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a legendary physician, educationalist, philanthropist, freedom fighter, and statesman who served as the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. On this special occasion, we spoke to 4 specialist doctors about their content creation and actual practice. Read on:
Also Read: Is Social Media Influencing Our Mental Well-Being To An Extreme Now? Know What Rida Tharana Has To Say
Dr. Imran Patel
With a whopping 6.3 Million followers on Instagram, Dr. Imran Patel is a renowned and widely loved Paediatrician. He says it himself in his bio, “World’s fave Dr influencer.” His content features some of the cases he’s handled as a paediatrician while creating awareness regarding various health conditions in children. His reels are super engaging and educative for the masses at large. How does he balance both worlds? We find out!
You have built a community of 6.2 Million followers on Instagram! Does your offline practice also see an influx of patients to that level?
Yes, it has! I think parents who follow me on social media feel a connection and trust with me, reassuring them that visiting a doctor is not so scary. Some of my videos show children smiling and laughing through check-ups and vaccinations, which brings smiles to the faces of parents watching these reels as well. This blend of online influence and offline impact has been truly rewarding, and parents have reached out to me in large numbers.
Can you share a memorable interaction with a follower that highlighted the impact of your content on their child’s health and well-being?
I remember a memorable interaction with a young girl from UP state. She insisted that her parents get her vaccinations done under my care. Her exact words were, “Mai injection lagwaungi to inhi doctor se lagwaungi, warna nahi lagwaungi“. Vaccinations are often dreaded by children, but I think watching my videos has helped minimize their fear and create positivity around vaccines. Earlier, parents used to take their kids for vaccinations, and now children are encouraging their parents. This change is truly heartwarming.
Dr. Agni Bose
A Dermatologist, dermatosurgeon, and venereologist, Dr. Agni Bose simplifies medicine, skin and hair care for his patients and viewers. When he isn’t consulting at Dr. Rekha Sheth’s Clinics, he is creating valuable content on Instagram. Dr. Agni is a role model for numerous students, not just because of his academic brilliance, but also because of the charisma he portrays. We asked him his thoughts on skincare influencers.
Skincare influencing has become a big Internet fad right now. What’s your take on the advice given out by these influencers, especially when it comes to giving home hacks for medical conditions?
- Check the credentials of the person giving any advice related to health. Confirm whether they are healthcare providers or not. If you wouldn’t take financial advice or legal advice from a doctor, would you really take health-related advice from an influencer?
- Home hacks don’t work for all. It’s not a one size fits all. We get so many patients who suffer from burns/contact dermatitis after following some home remedy. That’s usually because the ingredients were not applied in the right concentration and dilution.
How do you ensure that the skincare content/advice you provide is accessible and beneficial to a diverse audience with varying skin types and concerns?
My advice is usually very generic and relies on common issues and health problems. Plus I try and give both the dos and don’ts of any skincare active ingredient so that people understand whether it’ll suit their skin type or not. I just don’t want to be limited to Dermatology since I first became a doctor and then a specialist, so oftentimes I also make content on general health and wellness so that I can reach the maximum number of people.
Dr. Manan Vora
Dr. Manan Vora dons many hats. He is an orthopaedic surgeon, content creator, physician, sports doctor and entrepreneur with 7 years of experience in this field. From breaking down healthy and harmful dishes to creating content around pregnancy to disbursing overall health awareness, Dr. Manan’s reels are extremely research-driven and educational. How does he think of these ideas? Let’s ask him.
How do you pick your topics to create content on? Is there a strategy you follow to balance between authentic, educational content and engaging content?
All my topics are frankly picked from questions that are asked me in my DMs, or from comments on my posts, or by my patients when they consult me in the clinic. My funda is simple, if one person had this question, there could be thousands more with the same question. So, I try to find a way to make it engaging and actually put it out there to my audience.
How do you as a doctor do your due diligence before promoting a brand/product on your profile?
I would probably accept 2 out of 10 collaboration requests that come my way. This is done after due diligence of the brand, the product, the ingredients and the results that they have. Personally promoting a product or a brand is quite a task because you’re putting your own credibility at risk, but I would only go ahead and promote something if I was comfortable with my own family using it.
Dr. Prateek Makwana
A consultant embryologist and sexual health expert, Dr. Prateek Makwana is also the Director at Vasundhara Hospital Ltd in Jodhpur. With a passion for promoting awareness and knowledge about reproductive health and genetics, he creates content around it regularly.
His tireless efforts to provide credible information to the masses and normalize conversations around sexual health topics have earned him a reputation as a trailblazer in the field. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has created a network of trustworthy healthcare influencers called WHO Fides. Dr. Imran Patel is a part of this program. Ab “Jao mazze karo!”
We see that you are a part of WHO Fides’ network of healthcare influencers. How important is this initiative for doctors as well as the public?
It is a very useful platform for healthcare professionals who are also content creators. You become a part of a huge network of medical professionals supported by the ‘WHO (World Health Organisation).’ The goal is simple, create evidence-based healthcare content and fight misinformation. The benefit is so much more amplified when it comes to people consuming content because, for one evidence-based post, there are 100s of those who spread misinformation.
How do you balance between content creation and running your own hospital?
Somedays either of these can take more time but what keeps me going is the simple fact, “I enjoy what I do, I love what I do and how it impacts the lives of people positively.” Just that thought makes it all possible. There are off days for sure. And days where I prefer to take some rest or divide the work in a manner I can handle. But it surely helps that there is nothing else I would rather do than this.
And the most important bit. I have an amazing team and that’s the only way one can grow. Together with my team and my support system (the OG Dr. Makwana’s, my Parents) a lot of these tough, packed work days, weeks and months become relatively manageable. So big thanks to them. So having a team of medical experts backed by Fides will ensure credible information is pushed all over the world. The team is ever increasing and that will only solidify the presence of reliable health-related content. I feel grateful to be a member of the Fides.
While medical science and the creative field of social media may seem like different worlds, they have increasingly become intertwined in recent years. The contributions of doctors to society are endless, and can’t be repaid in just words. Moreover, they’re giving health-related advice and relevant knowledge by creating content online. On National Doctor’s Day, we salute these heroes!
