EP121. The Social Script: What Doctors Should (and Shouldn’t) Post on Social Media with Dr Maria Li

In this episode I chat with Sydney General Practitioner and social media expert, Dr Maria Li on the best practices for doctors on social media. Dr Li has created tonnes of content, collaborated with over 100 professionals and organisations and is a member of the WHO's global FIDES network.

We focus on 5 key principles for responsible social media use because I would love to see more doctors being a credible source of accurate information for patients on social media.

I encourage you to look at the other content we produce and let me know what you think!

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Useful articles from Ahpra and Dr Li:

Ahpra social media guidance

Social media is media

Popularity is not respect

Your posts should reflect your judgement

Never make fun of patients

Comments count as content

Some AI generated notes:

Episode Highlights

00:02:15: Maria Li explains how she started an Instagram account during lockdown in 2020 out of boredom, initially posting bland health promotion content that unexpectedly grew into a major passion project.

00:05:30: Maria discusses her organic collaboration approach—reaching out to subject matter experts on social media to co-create content, offering graphic design services as an incentive, and iterating through multiple drafts before publishing.

00:08:45: Maria describes joining the WHO's global network of social media influencers, explaining how centralised health messaging proved insufficient against decentralised misinformation on social platforms.

00:12:00: Maria establishes the foundational principle that social media is media—a public broadcast stage, not intimate conversation—using the example of a Victorian doctor deregistered by AHPRA for posting negative commentary about gay, Chinese, and Muslim people.

00:16:30: Maria explains how social media algorithms amplify content triggering outrage, fear, and anger, creating a trap where doctors unconsciously drift toward sensationalism.

00:22:15: Maria provides the example of a nurse who went viral crying in a hospital corridor after a patient death, only to face intense backlash for appearing to exploit the tragedy for engagement.

00:28:45: Maria warns against making fun of patients through role-plays and mocking videos, citing the Santa Barbara urgent care clinic staff who were terminated after posting videos laughing at patient bodily fluids.

00:35:20: Maria addresses patient privacy concerns, explaining that identifiers extend beyond names to include tattoos, distinctive features, and contextual details that could enable identification even without explicit consent.

00:42:00: Maria illustrates how comments are public content through the example of "Dr. Jane," an obstetrician who received a formal complaint after arguing heatedly in a local Facebook mums group

00:48:30: Maria emphasizes that following trends exhausts creators and confuses audiences.

Key Takeaways

Treat every social media post as a televised interview with your name and credentials displayed—the regulatory standard for online behavior mirrors in-person professional conduct.

Prioritize credibility and respect over viral engagement; algorithms reward emotional arousal and controversy, but this conflicts with building sustainable professional reputations.

Comments, screenshots, and deleted content remain permanent evidence; assume all social media activity is discoverable and can trigger formal regulatory complaints or reputational damage.

Quality and authenticity matter far more than posting frequency; doctors can build loyal followings by staying true to their genuine interests rather than chasing algorithmic trends.

Patient privacy extends beyond names to distinctive features, contextual details, and even background appearances; when in doubt, obtain explicit consent or increase anonymization.

Quotable Moments

"Social media is media. That's the principle. Social media is actually really good at fooling us into thinking that it's intimate and it's personal."

"The moment you do post, you actually completely lose control of who sees your content. Kind of like a radio interview. Once you say what you say, you have no idea who's listening."

"Before you make a post I want you to actually ask yourself this question: would I say this on TV with my name and my job title on the screen? If the answer is no why would you say it on social media?"

"Attention doesn't equal respect. Attention doesn't equal credibility. So that's what I mean when I say popularity isn't respect."

"You don't need to win arguments online. People get really up in arms about winning an argument against someone they've never met. You don't need to. You can just walk away."

"Your superpower is whatever you genuinely care about, even when nobody's watching. Create what you're passionate about and you don't need to attract an audience. They will find you."