Social media platforms provide incredible opportunities to access information, and that includes information on healthcare. There are many inspirational women in medicine who are also social media influencers that show how they (imperfectly) balanced marriage, motherhood, and their medical careers.
Dr. Danielle Jones, MD (known on the Internet as MamaDoctorJones) is one of the most inspiring female physicians on the internet: she is a mother of four, an OB/GYN, and a social media influencer all while traveling the world with her family. She creates educational content about safe sex, birth control, and women’s health, and also shares her medical journey through her YouTube channel, TikTok, and Instagram platforms. Jones is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare, and she educates her audience about science and sexuality in an affirming and inclusive way.
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Dr. Siobhan Deshauer, MD (known on the Internet as Violin MD) is a Canadian rheumatology resident who vlogs her shifts at the hospital, educating her audience about common cases she encounters and sharing her journey in medicine. Deshauer majored in violin performance in college, and she emphasizes the importance of having hobbies and pursuing your passions before starting medical school.
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Dr. Jenny Le, DO is a family medicine physician based in Washington state. Through her YouTube channel, she shares her journey through medical school and residency as she juggles marriage and being a mom of two young boys. Le also shares her personal financial journey and her money management strategies for paying off student loans after medical school, buying a house, and other life milestones. Her channel is an incredible resource for people interested in learning about the work-life balance of an attending physician as well as the financial logistics of pursuing a medical career, which are not often discussed in the healthcare field.
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Miki Rai, RN, BSN is a nurse who shares her medical journey through YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Her videos frequently feature her boyfriend Kevin, a surgical resident physician. Based in Washington state, Rai contrasts different medical career pathways through her TikToks and documents her work-life balance as a nurse. She also shares her non-traditional career path (dropping out of high school to go to community college in the Bay Area before starting nursing school at UCLA).
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Dr. Jamie Lee, MD, an emergency medicine resident in New York City, shares her journey through medical school and residency in the midst of the pandemic. Lee’s YouTube channel reflects her personal challenges with medical burnout from working on the frontlines amid New York’s COVID-19 pandemic. She also shares her experience with pregnancy while working full-time in the emergency department.
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All of these healthcare professionals are examples of inspiring women who are not afraid to share their experiences in medicine and educate thousands of people through their videos, reels, and posts. There is so much to learn from the experiences of working women who are balancing their family aspirations with demanding careers in healthcare, especially during a pandemic. These powerful women show us all that it truly is possible to pursue dreams of a family and an ambitious career in healthcare.
