My thoughts on being anonymous on twitter and other social media: I made this twitter account as I was going into my sophomore year of college because my sorority had super strict rules about what we could post. I wasn’t allowed to express myself, talk about my job, politics etc.

without it being policed. Nothing I had to say back then was particularly inflammatory, but I didn’t like being censored. Now, as I have gone through eight more years of life, I have realized more and more that censorship is applied by all institutions, not just my sorority.

I was recently doxxed. Someone sent some deeply personal information about me to my employer. Everything turned out fine, but it was still embarrassing and I felt pretty violated by it. I do not agree with fucking with people’s lives off of social media if you don’t agree with

them or they hurt your feelings. I do think it is warranted if that person is being threatening, racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, etc. but there’s a line between “she called me a bad name” and “she threatened to murder my family” lol. A lot of people are anon because

we fear retaliation for talking about medical culture, systemic racism and sexism in medicine, the abuse of students and especially BIPOC by those higher up in the chain of power, etc. but we want to get shit off of our chest or discuss why these things are bad.

Our voices aren’t less or more valid than those who choose to not be anon. We just don’t want to take any chances people say it’s because we want to slander others or talk shit w/o repercussions... I say we’re the smart ones lol

Go forth and enjoy your anonymous twitters, med students and pre-meds and residents and attendings. Some people are and always will be shit. Avoid the ones who are loud about it and loud about how you’re hiding behind an anonymous profile. DO YOU!