key: cord-0925975-s6pxyepu
authors: Zheng, David X.; Mulligan, Kathleen M.; Scott, Jeffrey F.
title: #DermTwitter and digital mentorship in the COVID-19 era
date: 2021-04-03
journal: J Am Acad Dermatol
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.03.101
sha: 323ef5e7b8b0ece8a6ecc1e7815b3dbbd085a0e5
doc_id: 925975
cord_uid: s6pxyepu

nan

To the Editor: We enjoyed reading Fernandez and colleagues' recent article regarding virtual 24 mentorship in the COVID-19 era. 1 The authors described challenges to obtaining mentorship in 25 dermatology, provided a list of preexisting mentorship programs, and offered novel suggestions 26 for creating virtual mentorship opportunities for medical students interested in dermatology. We 27 applaud Fernandez et al. for contributing their viewpoint on this increasingly important topic. 28

Beyond the formally structured mentorship programs outlined by Fernandez et al., we 29 would also like to highlight the microblogging website Twitter as another means of facilitating 30 meaningful mentor-mentee relationships in dermatology. Twitter is a social media platform in 31 which users post public messages ("tweets") no longer than 280 characters, often accompanied 32 by hashtags (key words or phrases prefaced with the "#" symbol), in order to open discussion on 33 a topic of interest or to identify likeminded virtual communities. 2 Given the democratization of 34 the World Wide Web, 3 we believe that mentorship through Twitter is not only a viable, but an 35 inevitable alternative to traditional forms of mentorship. 36

For example, the Dermatology Journal Club (@DermatologyJC) on Twitter has amassed 37 over 3300 followers (as of February 15, 2021) who engage in a monthly question-and-answer 38 live-tweet session aimed at "stimulat(ing) intellectual conversation between dermatologists (and 39 those interested in dermatology…) from around the world." 4 Trainees publicly tweet in response 40 to dermatologists during these sessions while engaging in critical discourse of the literature, 41

which may lead to formation of professional connections in real time. The ability of trainees to 42 then privately direct message potential mentors with whom they have interacted is an avenue 43 through which mentorship may develop on Twitter. 44

Unlike traditional mentorship opportunities, including those identified by Fernandez et time, Twitter mentorship is less linear and more suited to individual needs. Any trainee may create a Twitter account and interact with potential dermatologist mentors on the platform, 48 regardless of their year of training, home institution, or preexisting professional connections. 49

Additionally, it may be easier for trainees (especially those underrepresented in dermatology) 1 to 50 identify mentors with similar backgrounds and interests, as they are not limited to mentors only 51 at their institution. These advantages may help to optimize mentor-mentee fit. 52

We are not suggesting that Twitter mentorship replace the formal mentorship 53 opportunities described by Fernandez et al. Rather, we are advising dermatology trainees to use 54

Twitter to augment the more traditional mentor-mentee relationships they may develop. Potential 55 mentorship opportunities in dermatology may be identified using the #DermTwitter hashtag 56 (Table 1) . This mentorship may take several forms, including conventional program/scholarship 57 applications, research collaborations, and "horizontal mentorship" from like-minded peers and 58 junior colleagues. 2,5 Dermatology trainees may browse these mentorship options and pursue 59 those that meet their needs. The collective adjustment to remote work due to COVID-19 will 60 support the continued importance of identifying pathways for digital mentorship. Deconstructing 61 traditional paradigms of face-to-face mentorship may allow dermatology trainees to succeed 62 through virtual connections for the duration of the pandemic and beyond. Type of mentorship opportunity Example Underrepresented in medicine outreach "For any dermatologists currently interested in mentoring minority students, please help me fill out this form for the SNMA. * We are currently trying to compile a list of potential mentors for SNMA students!" Research collaboration with dermatologists "I am looking for a junior medical student with none-limited research experiences / opportunities that is interested in #SkinOfColor, #Hair disorders, and #Research to work on a short-term project. Please share with your networks." Information about dermatology as a specialty "There are many of us in #DermTwitter (and also, tons of great #Dermatology mentors not on #SoMe † ) who would be thrilled to help colleagues at the medical school level and / or in other specialties with derm-specific information." Horizontal mentorship from peers "#MedStudentTwitter interested in dermatologythinking about pursuing a research year? Check out this extensive spreadsheet… to find a possible mentor / opportunity!" 67 * Student National Medical Association, an organization committed to supporting current and 68 future underrepresented minority medical students 69 † Commonly used abbreviation for "social media" 70 Additionally, it may be easier for trainees (especially those underrepresented in dermatology) 1 to 99 identify mentors with similar backgrounds and interests, as they are not limited to mentors only 100 at their institution. These advantages may help to optimize mentor-mentee fit. 101

We are not suggesting that Twitter mentorship replace the formal mentorship 102 opportunities described by Fernandez et al. Rather, we are advising dermatology trainees to use 103

Twitter to augment the more traditional mentor-mentee relationships they may have developed. 104

The #DermTwitter virtual community conveniently groups Ppotential mentorship opportunities 105 in dermatology may be identified using the #DermTwitter hashtag (Table 1 ). This mentorship 106 may take several forms, including conventional program/scholarship applications, research 107 collaborations, and "horizontal mentorship" from like-minded peers and junior colleagues. 2,5 108 Dermatology trainees may browse these mentorship options and pursue those that meet their 109 needs. The collective adjustment to remote work due to COVID-19 will support the continued 110 importance of identifying pathways for digital mentorship. Deconstructing traditional paradigms 111 of face-to-face mentorship may allow dermatology trainees to succeed through virtual 112 connections for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.

A guide for medical students and trainees to 115 find virtual mentorship in the COVID era and beyond

Twitter as a tool for communication and 117 knowledge exchange in academic medicine: A guide for skeptics and novices

Harnessing the Power of Social 120

Media to Support a Professional Learning Network During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contin Educ Health Prof

Twitter Journal Clubs: Medical Education in the Era of 123

Mentor networks in academic 125 medicine: moving beyond a dyadic conception of mentoring for junior faculty 126 researchers