This post was authored by James Beckerman, MD, FACC, team cardiologist for the Portland Timbers Major League Soccer team. He tweets at @jamesbeckerman and he actually can't stand kittens.

Sports cardiology and social media have a lot more in common than you might think. First and foremost, experience begets expertise. There are no certifications, board exams, or fellowship training requirements to develop specific skills in caring for athletes, understanding the subtleties of the trained heart, or cutting through the media hype on the relationship between exercise and heart disease. The same goes for social media... except you'll find a lot more self-proclaimed experts. Just ask them.

The next time you have a few moments between patients (when you're not populating your electronic health record or maintaining your certification), spend a minute on Twitter and check out the conversation. You’ll find plenty of social media mavens, sherpas, and please don’t forget the curators. There are content developers, idea-makers and tons of enthusiasts. As a Twitter guy myself since 2009, I have watched, participated and trolled with interest as more physicians, and an increasing number of cardiologists, have joined the virtual cocktail party that never ends. And I have to say, it's a welcome signal to the noise. Our profession brings with it a certain genuineness, wit, outrage and commitment – especially to our patients.

As with cardiology, social media means different things for different people. Some of us can't get enough of catheters and balloons, while others prefer the cool darkness of the echo lab. And online, some of us rage against the machine, while others like sharing videos of kittens. And that’s totally okay. Work is busy and occasionally stressful, so enjoy your time online. Social media is whatever you want it to be. It can be a great place to learn, share, advocate, vent, and even make friends and new colleagues. People seem to have an inherent desire to connect, and this is just another way to do it, outside the halls of academia or the lobbies of convention centers.

We sometimes forget that there are actually people behind those name badges, and for better (and rarely worse), physicians on social media not only appear comfortable showing their stripes, but seem eager to share them. As a cardiologist with special interests in issues related to exercise, athletes and sports, it’s been particularly fun for me to get to know people on Twitter like Michael Emery, MD, FACC (@michaelemerymd), John Mandrola, MD, FACC (@drjohnm), Larry Creswell, MD (@athletesheart), and John Vyselaar, MD (@johnrvcardio). We are lucky to find a supportive, passionate and smart community of docs out there who approach our day jobs a little differently but still find some common ground online. We support each other, recommend interesting studies, share insights from conferences – and some of us have never even met.

Are there rules? Tips? Tricks? Probably. But I like to think that we generally treat our patients and each other with dignity and respect, not out of adherence to HIPAA or hospital policy, but because it's the right thing to do. The same goes for social. Stick with what seems right, and you'll be just fine, whether it’s posting, liking, or linking, or just deciding to let your guard down for a few seconds between cases on a busy day to check out some videos of kittens. After all, they’re adorable.

This post is part of a series of posts from the ACC’s Sports and Exercise Cardiology Section. For more information about the Section, click here. Follow the sports and exercise cardiology conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #SportsCardio.

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