Austin Chiang, MD, MPH
Looking at his achievements and CV, you might think Dr. Chiang has accrued many gray hairs so it might surprise you that he is only 35 years old! Aside from being board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Obesity Medicine, Dr. Chiang is the director of the endoscopic bariatric program and chief medical social media officer for his employer Thomas Jefferson Hospital! Yes, you read that right – chief medical social media officer! Dr. Chiang is a pioneer in the field of medical social media and the founder of the Association for Healthcare Social media – the first professional society for healthcare social media use. On top of all of his professional pursuits, Dr. Chiang has a huge footprint on his own social media platforms and has been featured in the NY Times for his ability to use social media to educate the public.
In our episode with him, we discuss many topics from the dichotomy between interventional endoscopic procedures and preventive medicine all the way to how healthcare professionals can harness the power of social media to advance public health endeavors. This is likely the most succinct podcast we have had so make sure to give it a listen and let us know what you think!
Dr. Chiang's Social Media
Show Notes
(1:00 – 4:00) – Introductions
Question 1: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you do what you do?
Question 2: Did you always know you wanted to go the academic and rigorous medical route?
(4:00 – 10:55) – The Dichotomy of Intervention and Prevention
Question 2: What does preventive medicine mean to you and how does bariatric surgery play a role in that?
Question 3: Do bariatric procedures provide a more definite weight loss or do these patients also regain weight like the majority of those who endeavor to do so in the first place?
Question 4: What exactly do you do in these bariatric procedures?
(10:55 – 17:30) – Obesity and Gastroenterology
Question 4: Do bariatric procedures help in changing the gut microbiome to promote weight loss?
Question 5: What do you cover in the follow-up visits with your patients that help patients keep the weight off?
Question 6: Is your knowledge of the importance of follow-up and obesity counseling something you picked up in practice or learned?
(17:30 – 30:30) – Social Media in Medicine
Question 7: How can social media help us overcome and circumvent the barriers within the current paradigm of medicine?
Question 8: How did you get into TikTok?
Question 9: Where do you draw the line between professionalism in medicine and producing content for social media?
Question 10: How do you balance the relationship between working for a hospital which may be thought of as “corporate” and your presence on social media?
Question 11: Do you envision a future where larger institutions might have social media departments?
(30:30 – 37:15) – Misinformation and Social Media
Question 9: How do we combat misinformation on social media whether its from physicians or others within the healthcare field versus those outside of the field?
Question 10: What do you say to people who think of bariatric procedures as “western medicine” and instead want to “keep it natural?”
(37:15 – 43:20) – Wrapping up
Question 11: What do you tell someone in 2 minutes while waiting for your coffee who asks you, “how do I get healthy?”
Question 12: Is there anything you want to plug?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:17 — 59.5MB)
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