With the ever increasing popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace and YouTube, comes the rising risk of medical malpractice lawsuits for many young med students who aren’t careful when using them.

A recent study revealed some disconcerting facts about medical students posting inappropriate and confidential content on the web for all to see through the use of various social media outlets.

Some of the incidents uncovered involve the posting of pictures of drug paraphernalia, posting identifying details about patients online and a even request for an inappropriate friendship with a patient through one of the sites.  Additionally there was an incident reported of a video being posted which depicts several medical students performing a prank with what appears to be a cadaver.  It is still unclear whether the body was real or not.

What’s most disturbing is that, although most medical school deans are aware of the inappropriate online activity of many of their students, few have any formal policies in place to dictate what is and isn’t appropriate for online use.  Still, some are beginning to crack down on the problem, issuing punishments that range from warnings to expulsion.

The bottom line is, these students must realize that they will soon be doctors and nurses and must act the part now.  Participating in unprofessional conduct online can open the doors to costly medical malpractice lawsuits against them.  And a jury will likely not take well to a doctor who exposes confidential patient information in a public forum, or makes jokes about serious medical conditions.

It’s an interesting topic that we will likely see more of as the use of social media websites continues to grow in popularity.