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Policy No: 2159
Responsible Office: Student Affairs
Last Review Date: 04/01/2026
Next Required Review: 04/01/2028
Policy No: 2159
Responsible Office: Student Affairs
Last Review Date: 04/01/2026
Next Required Review: 04/01/2028

Student Digital Professionalism Policy

1. Purpose

The University of South Alabama’s Whiddon College of Medicine (Whiddon COM) affirms its commitment to free expression and academic freedom as integral to the mission of higher education. In parallel, the Whiddon COM recognizes that students, as future physicians and professionals, assume heightened ethical and legal responsibilities in all forms of communication—including those on social media and digital platforms. This policy on social media and digital communication (hereinafter referred to as digital professionalism) outlines expectations, standards, and best practices for digital professionalism to ensure students uphold the values of professionalism, protect patient and institutional confidentiality, and maintain public trust in the medical profession. It supplements and should be considered consistently with existing University and Whiddon COM policies and applies to all user-generated digital content, whether disseminated on public, private, or University-managed platforms.
 
 

2. Applicability

This policy applies to Whiddon COM M.D. degree-seeking students.
 
 

3. Definitions

Social media – a broad range of forums, including, but not limited to, blogs and microblogs, business networks, enterprise social networks, photo/video sharing sites, product/services reviews, social bookmarking, social gaming, virtual worlds, and news sites.
 
True threats - statements meant by the speaker to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals
 
 

4. Policy Guidelines

In the following guidelines on digital professionalism, the Whiddon COM reminds students of their special professional obligations regarding social media and other publicly accessible online communications. We offer the following supplemental best practices and guidelines for these professional communications. These apply to the use of all internet- and mobile-based tools involving user-generated content (text, images, or sounds) and interaction, as well as electronic communications platforms, whether University-owned or private. These also apply to any comments or images a student might contribute to content generated by others (e.g., blogs, opinion pieces, videos, podcasts, e-mail distribution lists, etc.).
 
4.1 Expectations
Students are expected to:
    1. Comply with Legal and Institutional Requirements: All communications must adhere to federal and state legal requirements and University rules and policies (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, University IT policies). This includes, but is not limited to, safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of patients, research subjects, peers, and University operations.
    2. Avoid Unauthorized Representations: Students may not speak or act on behalf of Whiddon COM, the University, or affiliated entities unless expressly authorized to do so. Use of official names, titles, logos, or branding in any personal communication also requires prior approval from the USA Marketing and Communications Office.
    3. Follow Site-Specific Guidelines: Students must observe and comply with the communication and social media policies and requirements of any affiliated clinical or educational site in which they participate.
    4. Refrain from Unprofessional or Harmful Conduct: Communications that constitute unlawful discrimination or harassment, incitement to violence, “true threats”, or other unlawful conduct are strictly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in accordance with the Whiddon COM Medical Student Honor Code and the Student Promotions and Evaluations Committee.
    5. Do Not Provide Medical Advice: Unless students are independently licensed and acting within that legal scope, they must not offer clinical advice, suggest diagnoses or treatments, or represent themselves as qualified healthcare providers in any digital space. 
4.2 Professionalism in Practice
Students are required to demonstrate digital professionalism aligned with the Whiddon COM’s values and ethical standards. The following behaviors are expected: 
    1. Uphold Confidentiality
      • Students must never disclose protected health information (PHI) or share identifiable details about patients, research subjects, cadavers, or standardized patients—whether directly or indirectly.
    2. Limit Social Media Engagement with Patients
      • Students should avoid interacting with patients on social media unless there is a prior personal relationship. Professional boundaries must be preserved.
    3. Do Not Capture or Share Unauthorized Images or Recordings
      • Photographs, video, or audio taken in clinical, research, or anatomy settings without proper authorization are strictly prohibited.
    4. Maintain Accuracy and Integrity
      • Digital content must be truthful and consistent with Whiddon COM's professional and academic standards. Misrepresentation of academic status, training, or qualifications is prohibited.
4.3 Best Practices for Digital Professionalism
In addition to the guidelines as mentioned above, the Whiddon COM recommends the following best practices:
    • Be aware that posted information may persist even after attempts to erase or delete it. Certain communications may remain accessible to third parties, including the University, other students, faculty, staff, patients, and future residency programs or employers. Furthermore, information posted on social media and other online sites may have legal and professional ramifications, including use as evidence in lawsuits and licensure proceedings. Use available privacy settings to avoid the dissemination of information beyond your intended audience.
    • Routinely monitor your own internet presence to ensure that the personal and professional information on your own sites and, to the extent possible, content posted about you, is accurate and conforms to Whiddon COM’s policies and standards.
    • Seek guidance proactively. If you are unsure whether a post or digital interaction aligns with this policy, contact the Office of Student Affairs for consultation before posting. The Office of Student Affairs is a resource–before or after the fact–for questions about whether any of your online communications are inconsistent with professional standards or are imprudent in some other way.
    • If you observe digital content involving Whiddon COM medical students that appears to be inconsistent with these standards, report the concerns responsibly to the Office of Student Affairs for appropriate review and followup.
4.4 Considerations
Along with the best practices mentioned in the previous section, the following are items that students should consider in relation to digital professionalism:
    1. Maintain professionalism by keeping your personal online presence separate from your professional presence. It is important to maintain boundaries between your personal online presence and professional activities. Consider creating separate accounts on social media sites. Remember: Your personal social media account contains your opinion; a professional, college-affiliated social media account does not.
    2. Carefully prepare your content and maintain accuracy. Ensure your information is correct and appropriate. Additionally, remember your audience and provide context so they understand the purpose of your site. Furthermore, be thoughtful and respectful. All College of Medicine accounts can be viewed (correctly or incorrectly) as representative of the university as a whole, regardless of your intentions.
    3. Remember that no post is truly anonymous. Private posts submitted anonymously or within "private" settings may still be accessible, copied, or shared. Students are deemed to be accountable for all digital content under their name or identity.
    4. Use disclosure disclaimers when your affiliation with the Whiddon COM, USA Health, or the University is identifiable. Include a disclaimer such as: “The views expressed are my own and do not represent those of the University of South Alabama, USA Health, or the Whiddon COM.” 
 
 

5. Procedures

Procedures If you observe digital misconduct, please submit a report to the Whiddon COM’s Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Laventrice S. Ridgeway, lsridgeway@southalabama.edu, for appropriate review and follow-up. Reports are evaluated by the Whidon COM’s Office of Student Affairs and referred to the appropriate administrator for further action.
 
 

6. Enforcement

Students with actions found to be inconsistent with the Whiddon COM’s Digital Professionalism Policy may be subject to a Physicianship Early Concern (PEC) note as related to professionalism, or referred directly to the Student Promotions and Evaluations Committee for professional review contingent upon the level of egregiousness. Students with actions that lead to multiple PEC notes are required to appear before the Student Promotions and Evaluations Committee for professional review.
 
 

7. Related Documents

The policies, operating procedures, and resources listed below relate to the digital professionalism guidelines.
 
7.1 Professionalism Policy
7.2 Physicianship Early Concern Policy
7.3 Student Promotions and Evaluations Committee Procedures
7.4 American Medical Association–Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
7.5 American Medical Student Association–Social Media Guidelines
7.6 Association of American Medical Colleges–Digital Literacy Toolkit