Social networking sites can be great, but they don’t necessarily address the specific needs of physicians. That is why the founders of Epocrates created Doximity, an online social and professional networking site specifically for medical professionals.

Just like other networking sites, Doximity requires users to create a profile. However, there is one key difference: Doximity users must submit to a three-step check of their credentials. This ensures the integrity of the community and helps protect the privacy of patients.

The site includes a directory with information about each practice from the National Provider Identifier, Medicare and other HHS databases, making it easy for doctors to find specialists, pharmacies and other resources. Once enrolled in Doximity, doctors can use the community to connect with colleagues and former classmates.

Currently, there are 87 specialties and more than 567,000 U.S physicians enrolled. Doximity allows users to search the site by several criteria, including clinical interests, hospital affiliations, specialty and language spoken. With Doximity’s HIPAA- compliant communications system, doctors seeking referrals or advice can send secure messages to other members.

Doximity allows doctors to send texts accompanied by pictures for quick and easy consultations. Doctors can even use Doximity to send faxes. Furthermore, Doximity has collaborated with Amion so doctors can have on-the-go-access to the on call schedule. Users can participate in ongoing discussion about cases, literature and the business aspect of being a doctor.

Doximity is available for desktops, iPhones and Android phones.