Olaleke Folaranmi

About Olaleke Folaranmi

As a general pathologist trained in Nigeria and still practicing in a severely resource-constrained environment, I face many challenges, including limited exposure to structured subspecialty training and restricted access to ancillary techniques such as immunohistochemistry and molecular pathology. These difficulties are compounded by the lack of up-to-date textbooks and journal subscriptions.

The gaps in my training became most apparent in the final years of residency, when I began encountering pathology cases shared on social media – particularly X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. That discovery transformed how I approached learning. By retooling my social media accounts into professional platforms, I found access to high-quality, often free, pathology education. Hashtags like #KnoworFail, geared toward junior residents, provided cases that sharpened my diagnostic skills. I became active online, learning from cases posted by experts and sharing my own to gain feedback from more experienced colleagues.

When my center started a dermatology service but lacked a dedicated dermatopathologist, I drew motivation from leaders I followed online, such as Philip McKee and Jerad Gardner. Their work inspired me to pursue dermatopathology and invest in high-quality imaging tools to share cases more effectively. My efforts eventually caught the attention of the University of Michigan Department of Pathology, whose Daily Diagnosis Challenge on X became a cornerstone of my learning. Their media team later profiled my journey in “Education Beyond Borders.”

Beyond education, social media became a platform for professional networking and mentorship. I found mentors, but I also became one – supporting residents across Nigeria and other African countries. This work contributed to my election to the executive council of the West African Division of the International Academy of Pathology (WADIAP), where I serve as assistant secretary and secretary of the education committee. In these roles, I help organize external quality assessment slide seminars, applying the training and global exposure I gained online.

Social media pathology has lifted me from what could have been a career in obscurity to one with global visibility. I have been invited to speak at international conferences and on podcasts, sharing my experiences and discussing our publication on “The Influence of Social Media in Promoting Knowledge Acquisition and Pathology Excellence in Nigeria.” I have also collaborated on international research projects that originated through online connections.

I turned to social media in search of knowledge, but I found much more: mentorship, collaboration, and a place on the global stage.