The Top Social Media Influencers in Plastic Surgery | Dr. Daniel Gould

Dr. Daniel Gould co-authored research published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal examining social media influence within plastic surgery and identifying the field’s top 100 influencers on Twitter.

The study explored a different side of social media’s role in medicine. Rather than focusing primarily on patient-facing marketing, the researchers examined how platforms such as Twitter could support professional connection, education, and the exchange of information among surgeons and the wider medical community.

Researchers identified the highest-ranking accounts associated with the topic of plastic surgery and evaluated factors including whether the individuals were plastic surgeons, their board-certification status, geographic location, and their academic influence.

The analysis found that the majority of physician social media influencers identified were board-certified plastic surgeons, with most based in the United States. The researchers also compared social media influence with traditional measures of academic influence, providing insight into how professional authority was developing across both scientific and digital spaces.

Published in 2018, the study provides an early look at how social media was becoming part of professional communication within plastic surgery, extending its role beyond marketing to include education, collaboration, and the visibility of medical expertise.