On the Edge: Social Media and Med Students

                                                                            Le berceau (The Cradle) - Berthe Morisot 1872


There's a rich literature about the contributions that fringe, or edge, group members contribute to a field.


In his book Cognitive Surplus, Clay Shirky offers the example of Berthe Morisot's influence on impressionist painting. As a female, should could not have full membership in the impressionist club of the day, the Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers. 


Rather than mitigating her impact, Morisot's edge status actually prompted more exposure of impressionism in the wider art community. 


Shirky's point is that members operating at the margins of groups, members who are not full ensconced within a group's traditions and hierarchies, can be a broadening and enriching force.


And so, I submit to you that medical students are similarly on the edge, and can therefore broaden and enrich the applications of social media and other digital tech developments.