Social Media Advancing at School of Dentistry

A “third wave” of communication innovation is taking place at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.  Students, faculty, and staff are affected as are patients, prospective students, and alumni.  The new wave, which appears as though it will continue well into the future, builds on earlier efforts.

Here’s how the evolution has occurred.

The “first wave” involved…and still involves…the use of printed material, such as magazines, books, and newspapers, and electronic media including television, videotapes, and radio to transmit information.  These vehicles, however, have typically featured little or minimal interaction between the recipient (audience) and those who create and disseminate the content.

The “second wave” began taking shape in the early to mid 1980s as personal computers, the Internet, and e-mail appeared, evolved, and became increasingly popular in businesses, schools, and homes.  With these tools, communication became more frequent with users passing along information, often within moments of receiving it.

The “third wave” involves the use of what’s called “social media.”  It includes applications like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and Picasa, as well as tools like blogging and texting.  Social media builds upon the cornerstones of the first and second waves.  Over time, social media may become the primary form of communication used by individuals and organizations.

Social Media — What it Is

Social media applications allow for interactive communication or social networking.  It thrives on constant engagement and feedback among those who share similar interests.  In a nutshell, social networking is all about “being connected.”

Social media give individuals who use Web-based mobile technologies (iPhones and Android smartphones, iPads and Android tablets, and other portable devices) new opportunities for peer-to-peer communications.  Those with desktop computers also use social media.

The use of mobile technologies has skyrocketed in recent years allowing almost everyone to be connected. 

Another recent survey published by the Pew Research Center revealed 65% of all U.S. adults use social networking sites compared to just 5% in 2005.  Young adults, ages 18 to 29, consistently use the sites. 

However, use of social networking sites by users 65 and older has grown the fastest, 150% between 2009 and 2011.  During this time, use by those ages 50 to 64 doubled, from 25% to 51%.

The increases are significant. 

Millions can create content — text, photos, videos, music, and music videos — and use the Internet to share what they have created on message boards, blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or Flickr.  Anyone using a social media applicationcan be a writer, blogger, photographer, or videographer and can share with “friends and followers” topics of common interest, where they are, what they are doing, or what they have seen.  The other person can be in another room or on the other side of the world.

Social media allows unlimited outlets for sharing creativity. 

Last spring, for example, a group of U-M dental students produced a video, “Composite,” a dental parody set to the tune of a popular music video, “Dynamite.”  After creating their video, the dental students posted it on YouTube where it has been viewed more than 12,000 times.

School of Dentistry Embracing Social Media

The U-M School of Dentistry has been immersed in social media waters for several years. 

One of its earliest initiatives enabled students to use their portable listening devices to access lectures, podcasts, and course materials on iTunes anywhere and at any time.  A public site, Open Dentistry, followed and allows visitors access to community, educational, and historical media.

The School’s YouTube channel is informative and popular with more than 8,000 subscribers.  Visited approximately 9,000 times daily by individuals at dental schools, medical schools, and private practice dentists worldwide.  Nearly 900 digital videos have been viewed more than 8 million times.  Originally in analog format, the videos were produced in the School’s television studios in the 1960s and 70s and still provide meaningful content to the dental and medical communities.

The School’s use of social media has expanded to include a presence on Facebook with nearly 2,500 fans and a Flickr site with School-related photos.  Dental and dental hygiene students have been blogging regularly for two years at Wolverine Bites where they describe daily life at the School of Dentistry and events inside and outside the classroom. 

School Bloggers

According to Celia Alcumbrack-McDaniel, editor of Wolverine Bites in the Office of Student Services, both dental and dental hygiene students were asked to volunteer to write blogs about their experiences for Wolverine Bites.

A “blog,” which combines the words “Web” and “log,” is a contemporary version of a personal diary.  Blogs include a person’s thoughts, ideas, opinions, observations, and commentary on a wide range of subjects, issues, and events and often include photos, videos, and links to other posts and Web sites. 

School of Dentistry bloggers have written about subjects ranging from their experiences in the classroom and clinic to participating in outreach.  They also have offered advice for prospective dental students, including how to prepare for interviews.

“Blogging is a way for students to reach out and tell friends, other students, prospective students, parents, alumni, and even prospective employers about their experiences as a dental or dental hygiene student, what it’s like to be in a particular class, some of the challenges they face, or anything they choose to comment on,” she said.

Currently, four dental students and two dental hygiene students are blogging for the School.  Since it was launched in late 2010, Alcumbrack-McDaniel said the Wolverine Bites Web site was visited more than 14,000 times.  Of the 50 or so blogs posted, the most popular are those describing what it’s like to be a dental student.

“Blogging and other social media are new and exciting opportunities for students and the dental school,” she said.  “I don’t think anyone knows at this time what the ultimate potential of these new forms of communication will be.  But it’s important the School of Dentistry use social media more.”

Social Media and Confidential Information

Given social media’s ubiquity, the School of Dentistry has issued guidelines to ensure that faculty, students, and staff comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules concerning patient confidentiality. 

According to Dr. Stephen Stefanac, associate dean for Patient Services, those guidelines include never posting names, addresses, or other unique information that identifies a patient and never discussing individual patient care or treatments on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.  “This includes discussions between you and your patient,” he said.

Sharon Grayden, communications director, said social media tools “are great resources that make it possible for us to connect and interact with individuals in ways we were not able to in the past.”  She said that as more users adopt these tools, “there is the expectation the School of Dentistry will respond.  Our challenge,” she continued, “is to manage our social presence to meet those expectations knowing we will have to invest to support the technology.”  Managing the School’s social presence will also include constant monitoring of Facebook posts and responding, when necessary; updating blogs and creating new ones; and posting new photos relevant to particular topics.

Important Links

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Umichdent
Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/umdent/
Blog:  http://www.WolverineBites.org
iTunesU:http://www.dent.umich.edu/media/itunes/index.html
UmichDent YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/umichdentWeb: http://dent.umich.edu/academicaffairs/

SIDEBAR:

“An Amazing Opportunity” Says Blogger  

For some dental and dental hygiene students at the School of Dentistry, blogging is a new experience…and one they say they enjoy.

“I haven’t blogged before, nor did I ever imagine myself as a blogger, but this seemed like an amazing opportunity to be a voice of the dental school for prospective students,” said dental student Steve Davis who said he volunteered because he wanted to “give insights about what life is like as a dental student.”

His sentiments were shared by dental student Barbara Zickgraf.

“I thought it would be a good experience for me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new,” she said.  “I think the blog is a great way for potential students to really see what the School of Dentistry is about from a student’s perspective.”

Several students said blogging offers an opportunity to reflect on their classroom and clinical experiences.

“Self-reflection is a large benefit of blogging,” said dental student Nate Poel.  “Blogging not only allows me to share my experiences, but has become a checkpoint that allows me to reflect, evaluate, and proceed in a new direction, if necessary.”  Poel said blogging can become even more valuable “if prospective students contact the bloggers and ask questions about what they have read.”

Dental student Jeannette Young said she has received comments from family and friends about her blogs.  “Their interest in what I’m doing and their feedback was heartwarming,” she said.  “I love that we can share our thoughts almost immediately, and that social media offers opportunities for anyone to participate.”

Because blogging is a new experience for some students, writing about a topic takes some thought and time.

Dental student Hillary Mendillo said the process can take one to two hours, from start to finish.  “Before starting dental school, I wrote and enjoyed it.  I saw blogging as an opportunity to continue writing and give prospective students an opportunity to gain a better perspective of what it’s like to be a dental student at Michigan.”

Dental hygiene student Elizabeth Easter said blogging was a new experience for her.  In one blog about mentoring a group of Ypsilanti High School students on Saturday mornings, she said she hopes her blogs “will make others, such as these high school students, aware of possible careers in oral health care.”