10 Women in Medicine You Need to Follow on Social Media

From a YouTube star ob/gyn to an expert forensic pathologist, these 10 women in medicine stand out in their fields and have garnered large followings on social media. Check out their accounts for the latest updates in their respective fields, to keep up with their advocacy efforts, or to watch videos about taboo health topics.

Each of these women brings a unique perspective to medicine that’s engaging, inspiring, and worth a follow.

Here are just a few of our suggestions, in no particular order.

If there’s anyone we missed, let us know in the comments.

Tatiana Prowell, MD

Twitter: @tmprowell

Prowell is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer. She is currently an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as the Breast Cancer Scientific Liaison at the FDA. Prowell is also a member of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel cancer immunology working group. She is a three-time recipient of the FDA’s Excellence in Communication Award. She also received the John and Samuel Bard Award in Medicine and Science in 2019, and a Webby Special Achievement Award in 2020. Prowell served as chair of the ASCO Annual Meeting Education Committee in 2020.

Tsion Firew, MD, MPH

Twitter: @DrTsion

Firew is an emergency medicine physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She is a health equity advocate, and her research interests include global emergency medicine, women in global health, and international health policy. Firew was born and raised in Ethiopia. She attended the University of Georgia for her undergraduate degree and then New York Medical College for her medical degree. Firew is a member of MedPage Today‘s editorial board.

Megan Ranney, MD, MPH

Twitter: @meganranney

An emergency medicine physician based in Rhode Island, Ranney is known for bringing attention to the lack of protective equipment for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spearheaded the #GetUsPPE movement for acquiring and distributing equipment across the U.S. Ranney currently serves as the Warren Alpert Endowed Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, as well as the Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Ranney is the founding director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health.

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

Twitter: @wendysueswanson

Swanson is a pediatrician, author, and educator who is known for her Mama Doc blog. She is a pioneer in the new age of medicine, using online tools and platforms to strengthen relationships between patients, clinicians, and researchers. Swanson is the founder of the Digital Innovation Department at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and works as a community pediatrician, TV reporter, blogger, and thought leader. She also serves as chief medical officer at SpoonfulOne and is a member of MedPage Today‘s editorial board.

Kimberly Sue, MD, PhD

Twitter: @DrKimSue

Sue is a physician-anthropologist who specializes in addiction medicine. She serves as the medical director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, and is an assistant professor of medicine at Yale University. As a graduate of the Harvard MD-PhD program, her research focused on the intersection of the U.S. corrections system, addiction policy, mental health, and drug treatment. Sue published a book in 2019 entitled Getting Wrecked: Women, Incarceration, and the American Opioid Crisis.

Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD

Twitter: @mvankerkhove

Van Kerkhove is an infectious disease epidemiologist with the Health Emergencies Program at the WHO. She is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Van Kerkhove is the technical lead of COVID-19 response at the WHO, and also serves as the head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses Unit.

Judy Melinek, MD

Twitter: @drjudymelinek

Melinek is a board-certified forensic pathologist and best-selling author who is now based in New Zealand. She is the president and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. She is qualified as an expert witness in forensic pathology, neuropathology, and wound interpretation. She also has subspecialty training in surgery. Notably, Melinek was working in the New York Medical Examiner’s Office during the 9/11 attacks and examined remains from the World Trade Center and the American Airlines Flight 587 crash. She also contributes content to MedPage Today.

Caitlin Rivers, PhD

Twitter: @cmyeaton

As an epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Rivers’ work focuses on infectious diseases and improving epidemic preparedness. She is an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Deborah Serani, PsyD

Twitter: @DeborahSerani

A psychologist, professor, and award-winning author, Serani specializes in depression. Serani was inspired to enter the field of psychology after battling depression herself at a young age. She’s been in practice for over 30 years, and serves as an adjunct professor at Adelphi University in New York. She is a columnist for Psychology Today and Esperanza Magazine. Serani has published multiple books, as well as academic articles on the subject of depression and trauma. She is also a TEDx speaker, and worked as a technical advisor for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Serani is a member of MedPage Today‘s editorial board.

Danielle Jones, MD

Twitter: @MamaDoctorJones

YouTube: Mama Doctor Jones

Also known as Mama Doctor Jones, Jones is a board-certified ob/gyn and online educator with a significant following across multiple social media platforms. Her YouTube channel has over 1 million subscribers, and her videos focus on education on taboo health topics. Jones has been featured in the New York Times and was on the cover of People Health. She received her medical training from Texas Tech University and previously worked as an ob/gyn at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, as well as an assistant professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center. In 2021, she took a job at Southland Hospital in Invercargill, New Zealand.