Medical Blogger: What's in a Name?

Medical Blogger: What's in a Name?

Am I a Medical Blogger?

A “blogger” is someone who blogs.  “Blogging” is the act of writing articles, usually about a personal opinion, or posts, and publishing them on a blog.  A “medical blogger”  is usually a doctor that blogs about medical issues.  I am not sure where I fit in.  I am a blogger and I am a doctor, but I try to keep my opinions to myself.

Blogging is Writing to Persuade

As I discussed last time, blogs have become quite popular for a variety of reasons.  From a bloggers perspective, publishing an essay on the Internet, using blogging software, is a snap; both easy and fast.

I spend most of my time, sometimes as often as 5 days a week, creating content for RetinaEyeDoctor.com.  It has become a passion of mine for almost a year (I started April 2009).

While I am technically a blogger, there is a true distinction between myself and other bloggers.  I intentionally avoid expressing my opinion.   I try, as best as I can, to write objectively in order to teach.

Most other bloggers write to persuade.  I believe this to be a huge difference.

Medical Blogging

There are some notable medical bloggers.  Dr. Val, KevinMD and DrRob to name some popular ones.  They, too, are doctors and bloggers.  They are typical “medical bloggers.”

Most of their blogging is focused on politics and trends in medicine.  Often there may be an article offering a glimpse into a doc’s life, but still their writing is mostly opinion, perspective and persuasion.

I don’t think I really can run with these guys.

I Need a Home

I actually need a name.  I need to create my own name.  I need  a name that accurately, and fairly describes what I am doing;

I am a doctorblogger but I don’t write normal doctor blogging stuff.  I write about accurate health information regarding two causes of blindness.

Any suggestions?

Using a Blog to Teach

My true objective is to teach and provide health information.  I just use a blog as a format.  If blogs are synonymous with web sites, and from a reader’s perspective, they are the same, then I am creating an authority web site focused on eye disease; diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

A physician is an authority on health and medicine.  I aim to use this knowledge and authority to promote better health info on the web.

So, who am I?

What Does This Mean? We need to carve out a niche and distinguish ourselves from true “bloggers,”  medical or otherwise.  It may be too early to really define a new term describing what I do here, but perhaps, in the near future, more and more will catch on.

Certainly there is an unmet need for providing good health content on the web.  At some point, other docs will realize that they, too, can contribute and meet their own patients here!

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2 Comments
  • Irv Arons
    Posted at 10:03h, 29 March Reply

    I love it! I guess I’m in the same boat — although I’m not a doctor but, like you, am trying to put useful information on ophthalmic topics, not particularly available elsewhere, on the web so that others can benefit from my knowledge base (30 years of interaction with ophthalmology).

    Irv Arons

    • Randall V. Wong, M.D.
      Posted at 05:16h, 30 March Reply

      Birds of a feather! It really is difficult to easily explain what we do. After stating that I have a blog, I feel compelled to explain myself.

      Maybe I’ll get over it!

      Randy

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