Professionalism is crucial for public trust in doctors and goes beyond work settings.
The GMC considers private messaging (like WhatsApp) social media and expects the same professional behaviour online as in person.
Medical students are held to the same standards as doctors and should follow GMC guidelines on professionalism and fitness to practise.
A reflective approach and timely apology are key to showing insight and resolving issues.

The scene

A medical student sent a photo to his friend on WhatsApp as a joke. His friend's partner saw the photo and found it discriminatory, inappropriate and upsetting. As a fellow student, the partner flagged the photo to the course supervisor. The supervisor felt it raised concerns about the student's behaviour and professionalism and asked the student to meet to discuss.

During the meeting, the student was defensive and didn't show remorse for his actions as he felt he'd acted lightheartedly. The supervisor decided to escalate the matter to a student fitness to practise procedure.

Concerned about the potential implications, the student contacted the MDU for advice on what to do. He was slowly realising why the image could be offensive and felt bad.

MDU advice

Professionalism is an important part of medical practice, reflecting the importance of maintaining the public's trust in those who care for them.

Medical students are expected to behave in a way that maintains public confidence, and this expectation goes beyond behaviour at work.

Another profession where public trust is crucial is the police. You may have seen press articles about police officers being disciplined or even facing criminal convictions and prison sentences for sending material on WhatsApp.

How does the GMC view WhatsApp?

The GMC guidance on social media is clear that 'social media' includes the use of private messaging. The standards expected of medical professionals do not change because you are communicating through social media, rather than face to face (paragraphs 3 and 4).

The GMC has guidance for medical students on professional behaviour and fitness to practise. We urge all medical students to familiarise themselves with this guidance and follow it. While it can be challenging to be held to a higher standard than other students, adhering to the guidance is crucial for developing a career in medicine.

Students applying for GMC registration must declare any warnings or action by the medical school regarding professionalism or behaviour as part of a formal process. The GMC registers only those who are fit to practise, so they may investigate before making a registration decision.

Given this, the adviser recommended the student cooperate with the fitness to practise investigation and acknowledge, on reflection, that his message was offensive. An insightful, reflective approach and a timely apology can be very effective in addressing such issues.

What happened next

The student provided an account of the incident, his reflection, and an apology to his friend and their partner for the offence and upset caused.

The medical school was reassured that he'd developed insight and the incident would not be repeated, so closed the fitness to practise investigation without any sanction.

This is a fictionalised case compiled from actual MDU case files.

Need help? Contact us

Student members can contact our medico-legal advisers for support or call us on 0800 716 646 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

I sent an inappropriate photo on WhatsApp and now I'm facing investigation

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