A First Step to Blended Delivery: Introducing an Online Component to an Infectious Diseases Course Using a Photography-Based Social Media Platform

There has been a shift towards blended learning in medical education—combining face-to-face lectures with online learning. In this pilot, we complemented infectious diseases lectures with online “ID memory hangers” (visual infectious diseases mnemonics with short explanations of infectious diseases concepts) on the photography-based social media platform Instagram©. Students felt the online offering was useful for studying, and they appreciated the flexibility, accessing the site at various places and times. We learned that successful implementation of an online component involves working with motivated students; choosing a familiar, easy to use technology; starting with review content online; and stressing professionalism.