25/11/2025
I never thought I’d ask this. But here we are.
Someone with zero medical training goes viral giving health advice to millions… while actual professionals struggle to be heard.
So I’m asking the uncomfortable question:
What are we doing wrong?
Relatable is beating reliable.
We’re in a world where a good TikTok outranks good evidence.
Where volume drowns out value.
Research shows 82% of social media users have seen false or misleading health info - and most can’t tell what’s true.
It often starts innocently: a helpful-sounding tip, a relatable story. But then opinions become facts. Guesses become “expert advice.” And millions listen - not because they’re gullible, but because visibility has replaced credibility.
The consequences? Very real.
In Australia, regulators are scrambling.
In China, non-medical influencers were banned from giving health advice altogether. That’s how serious it’s become.
Meanwhile:
- Graduates aren’t learning what truly matters.
- Experienced professionals burn out and leave.
- Patients feel lost. Trust keeps shrinking.
So what’s the answer?
Not silence. Participation.
What if health professionals became the influencers?
What if evidence competed with anecdotes -and won?
What if truth could trend?
Your degree isn’t pointless. It’s more vital than ever.
But it’s no longer enough on its own.
We need better regulation and better education - yes.
But we also need to show up where attention lives: on phones, on reels, in feeds.
With clarity. With empathy.
With real talk that connects and corrects.
Because silence isn’t protecting anyone.
Expertise matters—if we make it matter.
So here’s my question:
💬 How do we make qualified voices heard again?
Drop a comment. Let’s figure this out together.
—
💡 Inspired by conversations with clinicians, educators, and research shaping how we teach and practice.
(Views are my own, shared for professional education and reflection - not individual healthcare advice. Image is AI-generated.)
Stimpson, J. P., & Ortega, A. N. (2023). https://lnkd.in/gFv556zg
Yahoo Finance. https://lnkd.in/gDR-ha26
CNET. https://lnkd.in/gQuRmuGf