MORE than a third of Australian medical students share patient information online and post pictures of themselves drug-affected or drunk.

A new survey in the Medical Journal of Australia revealed 306 out of 880 students admitted to posting inappropriate content to their social media profiles.

Pictures and posts revolving around getting drunk were the most common with 301 students confessing to advertising it.

About 14 admitted they released patient information on their social media profiles and 14 posted about drug use.

Australian Medical Association vice president Dr Stephen Parnis said it was obviously never acceptable to expose details about any patient.

“Breaches of privacy and trivialising things that would be of particular importance to the wellbeing and dignity of patients can do reputational damage, professionally and personally,” he said.

“If something goes viral then it is well and truly out of hand and is on social media forever.”

Dr Parnis was not surprised by the survey results and said medical students were young, enthusiastic and at times impulsive.

“We’re all impulsive,” he said.

“But they need to remember employers generally look at social media when considering a job candidate or somebody for a training program.

“I still have great faith in medical students in Australia because in my experience, the vast majority have been inspirational.

“I think the benefits of social media far outweigh the harms.”

He said however that people in the medical profession had more of a responsibility because people held them to a high standard.

“They need to uphold that and it’s disappointing when somebody falls short of that standard,” Dr Parnis said.

“But they must be supported and educated when these mistakes are made — these are not capital crimes and no one is perfect.”

The survey, led by Dr Christopher Barlow from The Alfred and Dr Stewart Morrison from St Vincent’s Hospital, also convinced 35 per cent of medical students to change their privacy settings on Facebook.

The researchers said medical educators should do more than inform students of guidelines and policies around social media use.

Dr Parnis commended the survey for helping those in the medical profession further understand how social media works.

“It’s an important part of professional life as well as personal life but it is still relatively new and needs to be understood better,” he said.

“I think social media connects the world we live in and there are tremendous opportunities and advantages when learning and connecting with colleagues.”