This is a very basic primer on the Snapchat app, and how medical and research professionals can consider harnessing this novel form of social media for sharing advances in research, including from professional meetings.

1. Using Snapchat in oncology and
cancer research
Emil Lou, MD, PhD
Physician-Scientist
Board-certified in Medical Oncology & Neuro-oncology

3. What is Snapchat, exactly?
• According to Wikipedia:
– “Snapchat is an image messaging and multimedia mobile
application…”
– It has features including sharing still images or very brief
(10 second) videos, and also text messages.
– Filters, emoticons, words, and other images can be added
on top of photos or videos.
– Capability: Videos and photos can be privately between
individuals, OR with followers/friends who would have
access over a 24-hour period via the MyStory feature.
– It’s built for mobile devices – not accessible via desktop.

4. Unique features of Snapchat
• Other forms of social media have taken hold in
medicine and science already (Twitter, most
prominently, in addition to profession-specific
forums like LinkedIn, ResearchGate, etc.).
• Snapchat allows for sharing of photos (much like
Instagram), and short 10-second videos (again,
like Instagram, Vine, etc).
• The content is ephemeral – viewed once, and it
disappears, or content on MyStory disappears
after 24 hours.

5. Why Snapchat?
• If you post photos or videos, you can save them onto
your mobile device; they can then later also be posted to
Instagram, Vine, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
• Everything you post is temporary – which is perhaps the
point: more opportunity to be spontaneous, less formal,
and if you don’t like it, it goes away.
• Consider it as a different form of social media that
complements Tweets with links, longer videos on
YouTube/OncologyTube, etc. It lends itself to adding a
more personal and informal touch, depending on your
creativity and imagination on how to use it.
• Although viewers can screenshot images, they cannot
download your content per se.

6. Rise of Snapchat – beyond teens
• Snapchat has a reputation (for those > 25 years of age) as being useful
for images best left for ‘private viewing’….
• …But in 2015/16, there has been a steep rise in major news outlets
and other media companies displaying their content on Snapchat (e.g.
The Washington Post, Fortune magazine).
• So are medical and research professional organizations and
individuals ready to take up Snapchat as a form of social media?
• Time will tell, but in 2016, Snapchat has overtaken Twitter in terms of
social media traffic and rate of growth in use and new users.
• There is a brand new audience, mostly consisting of those < 30 years
of age – in medicine/research, this includes the next generation of
physicians and scientists – including current and future medical
students, undergraduate science majors, graduate students, and
postdoctoral fellows.
• Future professionals are on Snapchat NOW.

7. How to get started?
• As with any other social media platform, open an account
and register your information.
• Some basic tips:
– You can’t search for individual users within the Snapchat app; you
have to either already know their username/handle, OR use the
app to scan their profile image.
– The circle icon on the bottom can be used to take photos, or hold
it down to take videos up to 10-seconds.
– To post to viewers/followers, press the arrow key (lower-right
hand on the screen) and add it to your “MyStory” collection of
Snaps – they will be there for 24 hours before disappearing
spontaneously.
– Text and icons can be added once you take a picture – press on
the “T” icon in the upper part of the screen.
– Just have fun with it!

8. Example of how to add someone: in the App, swipe the
screen downward; press “Add Friends” and then “Add
by username” (eg cancerassassin1); OR press “Add by
Snapcode” (like mine copied below)

9. Discover who’s posting
• Explore and follow companies including
National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal,
CNN, and others, by swiping from right to left.

10. • Experiment at conferences, and have fun!
• Emil Lou, MD, PhD
– Cancerassassin1 on Snapchat
– Also on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope,
SlideShare, ResearchGate, Oncology Tube, and
YouTube