ArticlePDF AvailableLiterature Review

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Social Media Presence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors:
  • Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

In light of away rotation and in-person interview cancellations for the 2020 to 2021 application cycle, social media has become a popular tool for orthopaedic surgery residency programs to highlight their strengths, curricula, and social life to prospective applicants. The authors sought to explore the proliferation and utilization of 3 popular social media platforms by both orthopaedic surgery departments and residencies. Methods: Orthopaedic surgery departmental and residency program social media accounts and their creation dates across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were identified using a standardized search methodology. Residency Instagram accounts were further evaluated for the number of posts, followers, likes, and comments. Both departments and residency programs were cohorted by affiliation with a US News &World Report (USNWR) top 50 American hospital for orthopaedics or by status as a Doximity top 20 program based on reputation. Results: Across a total of 192 residency programs included for analysis, Instagram was the most popular social media platform (61.5%), followed by Twitter (19.8%) and Facebook (10.4%). Conversely, orthopaedic departments more frequently used Facebook (33.9%) and Twitter (28.1%) over Instagram (17.2%). Of the 118 residency Instagram accounts, 102 (86.4%) were created after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger residency programs (≥6 spots/year) and those programs in the Doximity top 20 or affiliated with USNWR top 50 orthopaedic hospitals had a greater number of followers as well as likes and comments per post (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Given the recruitment challenges faced by residency programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram has rapidly become a prominent platform for attracting orthopaedic surgery applicants. These accounts have a large number of followers, particularly for residency programs with higher Doximity reputation rankings.
AOA Critical Issues in Education
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Social Media
Presence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Joshua T. Bram, MD, Lori Jia, BS, William Huffman, BS, and Jaimo Ahn, MD, PhD, FACS, FAAOS, FAOA
Investigation performed at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Background: In light of away rotation and in-person interview cancellations for the 2020 to 2021 application cycle,
social media has become a popular tool for orthopaedic surgery residency programs to highlight their strengths, curricula,
and social life to prospective applicants. The authors sought to explore the proliferation and utilization of 3 popular social
media platforms by both orthopaedic surgery departments and residencies.
Methods: Orthopaedic surgery departmental and residency program social media accounts and their creation
dates across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were identied using a standardized search methodology. Resi-
dency Instagram accounts were further evaluated for the number of posts, followers, likes, and comments. Both
departments and residency programs were cohorted by afliation with a US News &World Report (USNWR) top 50
American hospital for orthopaedics or by status as a Doximity top 20 program based on reputation.
Results: Across a total of 192 residency programs included for analysis, Instagram was the most popular social media
platform (61.5%), followed by Twitter (19.8%) and Facebook (10.4%). Conversely, orthopaedic departments more fre-
quently used Facebook (33.9%) and Twitter (28.1%) over Instagram (17.2%). Of the 118 residency Instagram accounts,
102 (86.4%) were created after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger residency programs (6 spots/year) and
those programs in the Doximity top 20 or afliated with USNWR top 50 orthopaedic hospitals had a greater number of
followers as well as likes and comments per post (p < 0.05 for all).
Conclusions: Given the recruitment challenges faced by residency programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Instagram has rapidly become a prominent platform for attracting orthopaedic surgery applicants. These accounts have a
large number of followers, particularly for residency programs with higher Doximity reputation rankings.
Social media has become a near ubiquitous component of
daily life, with nearly three-fourths of Americans using at
least 1 social media platform, rising to >90% of individ-
uals aged 18 to 29 years
1
. Among younger individuals, Twitter
and Instagram are popular platforms given their optimization
for mobile consumption and the ability to interact through
photos/videos. For orthopaedic surgery departments and prac-
tices, social media has become a valuable method of advertising
services and recruiting patients
2
. Social media presence is associ-
ated with easier accessibility through Google searches and higher
Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSOA/A320).
Copyright 2021 The Authors. Published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated. All rights reserved. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to
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JBJS Open Access d2021:e21.00073. http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.OA.21.00073 openaccess.jbjs.org 1
provider ratings
3,4
. In 2014, approximately 50% of orthopaedic
patients used social media, with younger patients up to 50·more
likely to have accounts
5
.
Although social media use is important for patient
recruitment, it has also become a popular tool for residency
applicants to access information about prospective training
programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancella-
tion of in-person away rotations and interviews forced
applicants to identify ways of obtaining program details
6
.Aside
from residency websites, which historically are variable in
content
7
, a newer avenue for obtaining information is through
program-run social media accounts. These accounts are infor-
mal platforms for advertising various components of programs,
including information on curriculum, social life, and research.
A signicant rise in social media accounts over the past
year has been observed in several medical specialties
8,9
, but
these trends have not yet been reported in orthopaedics. Two
common types of social media accounts were identied as
follows: (1) residency accounts,which highlight residency pro-
grams and are managed by residents/graduate medical education,
and (2) departmental accounts,which highlight departmental
services/activities and news. The purpose of this study was to
report on the prevalence of these accounts and the timing of
account creation relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. We
hypothesized that most of the residency accounts were created after
the start of the pandemic in an effort to interface with applicants.
Furthermore, we hypothesized that programs and departments
with higher rankings would have greater numbers of social media
accounts and Instagram followers.
Materials and Methods
Alist of all US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME)accredited orthopaedic surgery resi-
dency programs was obtained
10
and cross-referenced with a list of
programs accepting applications through the Electronic Resi-
dency Application Service (ERAS) for the 2020 to 2021 cycle
11
.
Military residencies (N =8) and other programs (N =1) that do
accept applications through ERAS were excluded.The numberof
residency positions per class was determined through institu-
tional website review, and the 2020 to 2021 Doximity Residency
Navigator reputation rankings for programs were recorded
12
.
These are subjective evaluations of programs based on peer
reviews from board-certied orthopaedic surgeons and nomi-
nations from alumni/current residents
12
. The 2020 to 2021 US
News &World Report's (USNWR) Best Hospitals for Orthope-
dicsrankingsranking orthopaedic surgery departmentswere
similarly collected and their afliation to residency programs
determined (e.g., the Mayo Clinic Department Orthopedic Sur-
gery Department is afliated with the Mayo Clinic Orthopedic
Surgery Residency Program)
13
. These rankings are more data-
driven and are based on a combination of patient outcomes
(37.5%), patient experience (5%), expert opinion (27.5%), and
other care-related indicators (30%).
The presence and activity of residency programs or
orthopaedic surgery departments and afliated institutes (i.e.,
private groups afliated with academic medical centers such
as OrthoCarolina) on 3 commonly used social media plat-
formsInstagram, Facebook, and Twitterserved as the
basis for this study. Social media accounts were identied
(author J.T.B.) through (1) searching program/department
websites for accounts and (2) searches using the full and/or
abbreviated names of each program/hospital followed by the
words orthopedic surgery,”“orthopedics,”“orthopaedics,
ortho,and residency.All accounts since the platform
creation were searched: Facebook (2004-present), Twitter
(2006-present), and Instagram (2010-present). Accounts
focusing on orthopaedic surgery residency programs and
managed by the residents/graduate medical education ofce
(identied through account biographies or noted in posts) were
classied as residency accountswhile accounts focusing on
orthopaedic departmental services/activities and news were clas-
sied as department accounts.Accounts with signicant overlap
in content between the residency program and department were
listed under both categories to minimize the bias of arbitrarily
selecting 1 category. This overlap was dened by >25% of posts
dedicated to departmental activities/services and residency high-
lights. In addition to the presence of a corresponding social media
account, the date of page creation (Facebook page) or rst post
(Facebook account, Twitter, and Instagram) was also recorded.
For residency Instagram accounts, the number of fol-
lowers, accounts followed, and total number of posts, likes,
and comments were tallied. Posts were categorized (authors
L.J. and W.H.) as being clinical, research, program informa-
tion, people spotlight, residency, social, or current events.
Clinicalposts depicted clinical vignettes, educational topics,
and operations while researchposts detailed publications or
conference attendance/presentations. Posts detailing the resi-
dency, city/location, and informational sessions were categorized
as program information.Posts highlighting specic individuals
(e.g., faculty, visiting professors, and residents/alumni) were
classied as people spotlight.”“Day-in-the-lifeposts empha-
sizing various aspects of resident experiences were placed in the
residencycategory while posts focused on life outside of the
hospital were considered social.Finally, images that discussed
the COVID-19 pandemic or social/political issues were cate-
gorized as current events.Posts featuring >50% women or
containing the hashtags #womeninorthoor #ilooklikea-
surgeonwere also separately tallied, as were programs using
the Instagram highlightsfeature.
All data collection occurred between March 8 and 10,
2021, after the submission of residency program rank lists
(March 3, 2021). In addition to reporting basic statistics, res-
idencies and departments were cohorted as (1) being ranked or
unranked in the USNWR top 50 and (2) being inside or outside
of the top 20 Doximity reputation rankings. Statistical analysis
was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Macintosh (ver-
sion 24.0) using a threshold of p < 0.05 for signicance. Cat-
egorical variables were analyzed using chi-squared and Fisher
exact tests, whereas continuous variables were analyzed using
Mann-Whitney U tests. There was no funding for this study. All
data were publicly available and did not require institutional
review board approval.
Orthopedic Residency Social Media
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Results
From a total of 201 US ACGME-accredited orthopaedic
surgery residency programs, 192 met inclusion criteria.
Three programs were new for the 2020 to 2021 cycle, and 5 held
special ACGME osteopathic recognition. Twenty residency pro-
grams (10.4%) had Facebook accounts/pages, 38 (19.8%) had
Twitter accounts, and 118 (61.5%) had Instagram accounts. In
comparison, orthopaedic departments/afliated institutes were
signicantly (p < 0.001) more likely to have a Facebook (N =65,
33.9%) or Twitter (N =54, 28.1%) account but had fewer In-
stagram accounts (N =33, 17.2%). Eight, 7, and 5 programs had
combined department/residency Facebook, Twitter, and Insta-
gram accounts, respectively. A total of 125 programs (65.1%) and
83 departments (43.2%) had a social media presence on 1plat-
form. The most common combination of platforms for both
programs (N =26) and departments (N =24) was Twitter and
Instagram. Twenty-four departments had accounts across all 3
platforms vs. 6 residency programs.
Programs with 6 residents/year were more likely to have
an Instagram account (83.7% vs. 53.8%, p < 0.001) although
there was no difference based on program size regarding Face-
book (p =0.304) or Twitter (p =0.170) presence. Larger pro-
grams also had a higher number of Instagram followers, likes per
post, comments per post, and followed more accounts (all p <
0.05, Table I). In addition, 102 residency Instagram accounts
(86.4%) were created after the COVID-19 pandemic (March 11,
2021, based on the World Health Organization Declaration
14
), in
contrast to only 10 residency Facebook pages (50.0%) and 29
Twitter accounts (76.3%) (Figs. 1 and 2). The rst Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram accounts (either department or residency
TABLE I Residency Program Instagram Posts by Program Size*
6 Spots/Year <6 Spots/Year p
N4177
Followers 1,095.0 (981.5-1,286.0) 781.0 (562.0-1,005.5) <0.001
Following 234.0 (133.5-375.5) 171.0 (96.5-267.0) 0.024
Posts 38.0 (19.5-69.5) 29.0 (13.0-46.0) 0.117
Likes per post 71.6 (57.3-86.7) 45.6 (24.3-65.6) <0.001
Comments per post 1.6 (1.0-2.1) 1.0 (0.6-1.7) 0.009
Use highlights27 (65.9) 32 (41.6) 0.012
*Statistics reported as median (interquartile range) and number (%).
Fig. 1
Orthopaedic surgery residency program social media account creation. The vertical yellow bar represents the date of the World Health Organization COVID-19
pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020). The rst residency program Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts were created on September 14, 2010,
August 1, 2020, and December 13, 2017, respectively.
Orthopedic Residency Social Media
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program) were created on May 15, 2009, July 7, 2009, and
September 30, 2013, respectively.
Thirty-nine residency programs were afliated with
hospital orthopaedic departments ranked in the USNWR
top 50 for orthopaedics. Of the remaining 11 hospitals in the
top 50 hospitals, 6 were afliated with programs that also
trained at a higher-ranking hospital (i.e., multiple aflia-
tions) and 5 were unafliated with a residency program.
There was no difference in the proportion of Facebook
(10.3% vs. 10.5%, p =1.000), Twitter (23.1% vs. 19.0%, p =
0.564), or Instagram (71.8% vs. 58.8%, p =0.137) accounts
for residency programs afliated with a top USNWR ortho-
paedics department. However, orthopaedic departments ranked
by the USNWR were more likely to have Facebook (53.8% vs.
28.8%, p =0.003), Twitter (56.4% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.001), and
Instagram (38.5% vs. 11.8%, p < 0.001) accounts. When com-
paring residency programs ranked inside or outside of the Dox-
imity top 20, there were no differences in the proportion with
Facebook (15.0% vs. 9.9%, p =0.444), Twitter (30.0% vs. 18.6%,
p=0.226), or Instagram (80.0% vs. 60.0%, p =0.081) accounts.
Conversely, orthopaedic departments afliated with residency pro-
gramsrankedintheDoximitytop20weresignicantly more likely
to have Facebook (65.0% vs. 30.2%, p =0.002), Twitter (65.0% vs.
23.8%, p < 0.001), and Instagram (45.0% vs. 14.0%, p < 0.001)
accounts.
When analyzing residency program Instagram accounts,
the median number of followers (i.e., other accounts that fol-
low the index account) and accounts followed (i.e., accounts
that the index account follows) were 992.5 (interquartile range
[IQR] 630.3-1,110.0) and 186.5 (IQR 107.5-283.5), respec-
tively. Each program posted a median 31.5 (IQR 14.0-60.3)
times, receiving a median 55.7 (IQR 31.6-74.7) likes and 1.2
Fig. 2
Orthopaedic surgery department and afliated institution social media account creation. The vertical yellow bar represents the date of the World Health
Organization COVID-19 pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020). The rst residency program Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts were created on
May 15, 2009, July 7, 2009, and September 30, 2013, respectively.
TABLE II Residency Program Instagram Posts by US News &World Report's Ranking*
Top 50 Unranked p
N2890
Followers 1,128.0 (865.8-1,415.5) 861.5 (576.6-1,044.8) <0.001
Following 220.5 (181.0-303.0) 172.0 (91.0-281.5) 0.073
Posts 39.5 (20.3-60.5) 31.0 (14.0-60.3) 0.467
Likes per post 71.9 (55.4-92.0) 53.1 (26.1-68.5) <0.001
Comments per post 1.8 (1.0-2.3) 1.0 (0.6-1.7) 0.003
Use highlights19 (67.9) 40 (44.4) 0.030
*Statistics reported as median (interquartile range) and number (%).
Orthopedic Residency Social Media
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(IQR 0.7-1.9) comments per post. The median likes averaged
over the last 3 posts increased to 210.5 (IQR 144.8-302.8). Fifty-nine
programs (50.0%) used the highlightsfeature. When comparing
programs based on afliation with top USNWR orthopaedic
departments, higher-ranked programs had more followers, likes,
and comments per post (all p < 0.05, Table II). Similarly, pro-
grams ranked in the Doximity top 20 had more followers, total
posts, likes, and comments per post, and followed more accounts
(all p < 0.05, Table III). The most common posting topics were
people spotlight (30.3%), residency (23.1%), and social
(18.9%, Fig. 3). Across a total of 4,742 posts, 613 (12.9%)
focused on women in orthopaedics.
Discussion
Social media has become a popular platform for surgeons to
publicize services available to patients
15
. Residency programs,
facing the unique constraints of recruitment during the COVID-
19 pandemic, have similarly adopted social media as a way of
interacting with prospective trainees. We found that the most
popular platform for residencies was Instagram, whereas
departments were more likely to use Facebook/Twitter. These
ndings are in line with data from the Pew Research Center,
where 79% of individuals aged 18 to 29 years (representing many
residency applicants) use Instagram vs. just 23% of people aged
50 to 64 years
1
. The emphasis on photo-sharing and video-
sharing by Instagram may explain its higher use among resi-
dencies, which may be seen as less formal and could facilitate
more dialogue about various program characteristics.
For orthopaedic departments and institutions, the benets
of increased social media presence are numerous. Triemstra et al.
reported that USNWR hospital reputation scores correlate with
Twitter/Facebook follower count and total tweets, whereas total
points in the USNWR rankings correlate with social media
presence on each of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
16
.In
urology, increased departmental Twitter activity has been asso-
ciated with higher USNWR reputation scores
17
, and more Twitter
followers were shown to be an independent predictor of gas-
trointestinal division rankings
18
.Suchndings have led to calls
for increased adoption of social media by orthopaedic surgeons
as a tool for publicizing services while improving reputation
2,19
.
Our results mirror these ndings because departments ranked by
the USNWR or afliated with Doximity top 20 residencies more
frequently used all 3 social media platforms. That being said, the
implication that higher social media activity leads to or is cor-
related with hospital reputation should be cause for pause
because it is not necessarily true that more prestigious insti-
tutions with a social media presence provide higher quality of
care. However, the nancial implications of social media
adoption are hard to ignore because this has likely, by way of
higher reputation, led to higher patient volume.
Although orthopaedic surgeons/departments have pro-
gressively adopted social media over the past 10 years, residency
program accounts have only dramatically increased during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Although 97% of residencies had pro-
gram websites in 2015, the quality/content on these sites varied
dramatically, with <50% reporting call schedules
7
. Such vari-
ation in online presence may itself have warranted the creation
of social media accounts that allow applicants to interact with
residents
20
. This coupled with the cancellation of in-person away
rotations and interviews during the pandemic likely accelerated
the creation of resident-driven social media accounts as a means of
attracting applicants. Interestingly, our ndings demonstrate that
TABLE III Residency Program Instagram Posts by Doximity Ranking*
Top 20 Outside Top 20 p
N 16 102
Followers 1,287.0 (1,129.5-1,578.3) 846.5 (583.5-1,047.3) <0.001
Following 287.5 (186.3-377.8) 176.5 (98.3-279.5) 0.010
Posts 57.5 (30.5-85.0) 29.0 (13.3-48.5) 0.003
Likes per post 84.5 (74.6-96.0) 53.5 (28.7-68.5) <0.001
Comments per post 1.8 (1.1-2.4) 1.1 (0.6-1.9) 0.007
Use highlights13 (81.3) 46 (45.1) 0.013
*Statistics reported as median (interquartile range) and number (%).
Fig. 3
Categorization of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Instagram Posts.
Orthopedic Residency Social Media
JBJS Open Access d2021:e21.00073. openaccess.jbjs.org 5
orthopaedic departments were earlier adopters of social media,
perhaps as a means for attracting patients and promoting services
(demonstrated in Figs. 1 and 2). Ahmadmehrabi et al. found that
61% of otorhinolaryngology (ENT) programs had 1 social media
account as of June 2020, observing similarly large increases in
Instagram/Twitter accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic
9
.In
another study of ENT programs, Goshtasbi et al. found that 67%
of Instagram accounts were created after March 2020, highlighting
their increased utility during the pandemic
8
.Thesendings are in
line with our own, where approximately two-thirds of pro-
grams had at least 1 social media account and nearly 90% of
Instagram accounts were created during the pandemic.
Because the increased number of social media accounts
among residency programs allows for more applicant-resident
interaction, we also sought to explore the impact of reputation
and rankings on account presence. As in our study, Xie et al.
(ENT) and Azoury et al. (plastic surgery) reported that
residencies with higher Doximity rankings or those afliated
with higher-ranked USNWR hospitals were more likely to
have social media accounts with higher follower counts
and activity
21,22
. This was attributed to broader applicant
awareness of historically prestigious hospitals and the desire to
uphold their reputations through social media. Again similar to
our results, Goshtasbi et al. reported that larger residency pro-
grams more often had Instagram accounts and had more fol-
lowers/posts, which may be due to the need to recruit more
residents and increased interest in larger programs with more
positions
8
. These accounts are also windows into the more
intangible aspects of residency, including resident life, program
culture, research opportunities, and social justice initiatives
23,24
.
Social media utilization by orthopaedic surgery residencies has
likely beneted applicants tremendously. Even before COVID-19,
>95% of plastic surgery applicants had a social media presence,
and 73% followed a residency account
25
. These accounts
allow students to gain a better understanding of program
culture and t, which could lead to a more selective appli-
cation list in line with recommendations from the American
Orthopaedic Association Council of Residency Directors for
the 2020 to 2021 application cycle
26
. However, increased
social media presence by programs must be balanced with
the awareness of applicant account content. Ponce et al.
reported that 85% of orthopaedic surgery applicants did not
restrict public access to their accounts, and 16% of indi-
viduals had unprofessional content
27
. This highlights the
importance of social media etiquette although it is impor-
tant to note that unprofessionalcontent is a subjective
distinction that could be particularly damaging to women
and people of color
6
. Although the benets of increased
social media use by residency programs likely outweigh any
negatives, this double-edged sword may be difcult for applicants to
navigate. Students should therefore be wary of their social media
presence before following specicprograms.
This study has several limitations. First, it is impossible to
know if we fully captured the social media presence of all residencies/
departments, although our systematic approach using various ver-
sions of orthopedicsand common program acronyms (e.g.,
PSUfor Penn State University)accountedforasmanypro-
grams as possible. In addition, Instagram allows for the posting of
storiesthat could not be counted toward the total number of
posts or included for content characterization, which for some
programs represented a common method of applicant interac-
tion. For social media accounts with signicant equal overlap in
resident and department/patient content, we chose to tally such
accounts under both the residency and department counts rather
than arbitrarily choosing one, which minimally affected our totals.
Last, our content categorization, while partly based on groupings
used in similar studies, was not all-encompassing, although we
feel the chosen categories accurately reected the general themes
observed.
Our study found that orthopedic surgery departments
tend to use Facebook/Twitter most frequently, although there
has been a dramatic increase in the number of Instagram
accounts used by programs to interface with prospective
applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition,
departments afliated with hospitals ranked in the USNWR
top 50 and residencies in the Doximity top 20 were signicantly
more likely to have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
Larger residency programs and those with higher Doximity
rankings had a greater number of followers and received more
likes and comments per post. Future studies could examine
how social media presence inuences the number of residency
applications received and the quality and quantity of residents
accepted into their program. n
Joshua T. Bram, MD
1
Lori Jia, BS
1
William Huffman, BS
1
Jaimo Ahn, MD, PhD, FACS, FAAOS, FAOA
2
1
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan
E-mail address for J.T. Bram: jshbrampsu@gmail.com
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Orthopedic Residency Social Media
JBJS Open Access d2021:e21.00073. openaccess.jbjs.org 7
... 10 The use of Instagram, in particular, has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 Bram et al. 11 found that 118 programs had Instagram accounts, a higher number than accounts on any other social media platform. ...
... Common topics of social media posts include spotlights of people in the program and comments about the residency program in general. 11 Abbas et al. 12 found Instagram posts from orthopedic residency programs most commonly included information specific to their training programs and social photographs, with fewer posts containing educational, clinical, or research content. The total number of posts and the numbers of educational, surgical, social, and program information posts had significant correlations with increased follower count. ...
... However, few social media posts were found to mention women in orthopedic surgery. 11 Websites and social media posts are typically the first interaction an interested student has with a program. These can not only provide information of interest to all applicants but can also address factors such as the presence of female and minority faculty and program reputation for diversity, which have been found to be more important to women applicants. ...
Article
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Background: Orthopedic residency programs increasingly use websites and social media to reach students. This accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as away rotations became limited. Women remain a minority of orthopedic residents, and there are no data that indicate the correlation between department/program website content or social media presence on the gender diversity of residency classes. Methods: Orthopedic department websites were assessed between June 2021 and January 2022 to identify program director's gender, as well as the gender composition of the faculty and residents. Instagram presence for the department and/or program was also identified. Results: There was no correlation found between the residency program director's gender and the gender diversity of residents in a given program. The percentage of women faculty identified on a department website was significantly correlated with the percentage of women residents in the program, regardless of the program director's gender. While there was an increase in the percentage of women residents among programs with Instagram accounts for the class that started in 2021, this was negated when the percentage of women faculty was taken into account. Conclusion: Efforts on multiple fronts will be needed to increase the number and percentage of women applying for and training in orthopedic surgery. Given the increasing use of digital media, we need a better understanding of what information, including faculty gender diversity, can be conveyed through this format that is useful for women medical students interested in orthopedic surgery to address their concerns about the field.
... With over 400 million users and a brief character content sharing limit, Twitter offers a substantially greater audience and speed of dissemination compared to academic journals. Within the field of orthopaedic surgery, the "#OrthoTwitter" community on the Twitter platform has evolved as a forum to disseminate findings, exchange ideas, and connect with both the public and other practitioners [2][3][4]. It has been suggested that Twitter activity at the time of publication is associated with academic citation counts after several years [1,5,6]. ...
Article
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Background #OrthoTwitter has evolved to disseminate findings and engage the public. However, the academic impact of Twitter utilization in orthopaedic surgery is unknown. Questions/purposes The purpose of the study was to evaluate relationships between the author and manuscript Twitter activity and citations. Methods Manuscripts in 17 orthopaedic journals from 2018 were identified. Citations, online mentions, impact factors, and subspecialties were obtained. H-index and Twitter account details for authors were obtained for a subset of manuscripts. Relationships between Twitter activity and citations were evaluated. Results 2,473/4,224 (58.5%) manuscripts were mentioned on Twitter (n=29,958 mentions), with Twitter manuscripts cited more frequently (median 10 vs. 7, p<0.0001). Twitter mentions, impact factors, non-open-access status, and subspecialties were associated with citation counts. Articles mentioned in 10, 100, and 1,000 Tweets were observed to have a 1.1-fold, 1.7-fold, and 245-fold increase in citations. In author-level analyses, 156 (20.0%) first and 216 (27.7%) senior authors had Twitter accounts. Citation count was associated with increasing senior author H-index (βest=0.13, p<0.05), Twitter mentions (βest=0.0043, p<0.0001), impact factors (βest=0.13, p<0.0001), and having a first (βest=0.20, p<0.05) or senior author (βest=0.17, p<0.05) on Twitter. Articles published in arthroplasty (βest=0.49, p<0.05), general interest (βest=0.55, p<0.01), sports (βest=0.63, p<0.01), and non-open access journals (βest=0.41, p<0.001) were cited more. H-index correlated with followers for first (rho=0.31, p<0.0001) and senior authors (rho=0.44, p<0.0001). Conclusion Author Twitter utilization is independently associated with manuscript citations. Authors should be aware of the potential association between social media utilization and traditional academic impact. Understanding the relationship between social media utilization and academic impact is necessary to effectively disseminate research.
... 5 Additionally, pandemic restrictions and hospital policies required physicians to adopt alternative methods to access patients and colleagues, furthering the proliferation and utilization of social media platforms for personal and professional use. 6,7 Physicians are increasingly using and present on social media. 7,8 In a 2010 study, 43% of health-related blogs were written by physicians. ...
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Purpose To quantify the social media utilization of professional sports team physicians on popular platforms and analyze differences between physician users and physician non-users for smaller major professional sports: Major League Soccer (MLS), Major League Lacrosse (MLL), Major League Rugby (MLR), Winter Olympics (WO) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Methods Physicians for the MLS, MLL, MLR, WO, and WNBA were identified and characterized based on training background, practice setting, years of experience, and geographic location. Social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and ResearchGate were determined. Differences between social media users and non-users were analyzed via chi-squared tests for nonparametric variables. Secondary analysis consisted of univariate logistic regression to identify associated factors. Results 86 team physicians were identified. 73.3% of physicians had at least one social media profile. 80.2% of physicians were orthopedic surgeons. Specifically, 22.1% had a professional Facebook page, 24.4% had a professional Twitter page, 58.1% had a LinkedIn profile, 25.6% a ResearchGate profile, and 9.3% an Instagram account. All physicians with a social media presence were fellowship-trained. Conclusions Seventy-three percent of team physicians in the MLS, MLL, MLR, WO, or WNBA have social media presence, with over half using LinkedIn. Fellowship-trained physicians were significantly more likely to use social media, and 100% of physicians with social media presence were fellowship trained. MLS and WO team physicians were significantly more likely to use LinkedIn (P = .02). MLS team physicians were significantly more likely to use social media overall (P = .004). No other metric significantly impacted social media presence.
Article
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The authors report current 3-year and 5-year institutional bibliometric profiles and investigate the correlations between objective metrics of neurosurgical residency programs and social media presence, including residency program size, faculty count, Doximity rankings, and measures of research output. METHODS A list of neurosurgery residency programs was obtained through the Doximity Residency Navigator. Publication history of faculty members was compiled using Scopus and analyzed to create institutional bibliometric profiles from 2018-2022 to 2020-2022. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare departmental metrics for institutions with and without social media accounts. Spearman rank correlations were used to examine the relationship between social media following and metrics, and between Twitter following and methods of Twitter use. RESULTS 74% (n = 86) of neurosurgery programs have a Twitter account, 47% (n = 55) have a Facebook account, 63% (n = 73) have Instagram accounts, and 16% (n = 19) have LinkedIn accounts. The most notable differences were found when comparing departments with and without Twitter accounts, where a difference was found in all metrics except the average H-index. Residency program size, faculty count, average H-index, 3-year and 5-year publication and citation counts per faculty, and institutional H-indices were significantly correlated with Twitter following. Higher Doximity rankings were correlated with Twitter following and Facebook likes. There is a greater increase in 5-year citations per publication from 2009-2013 to 2018-2022 for institutions that created departmental Twitter accounts after 2013. Articles that were tweeted about had higher 3-year citations per publication than the institution's overall 3-year citations per publication. CONCLUSION Our findings provide updated insight into the relationship between social media presence and objective academic metrics of neurosurgery departments. We identify and quantify correlations between social media platforms and program characteristics, with a focus on research output. These metrics can be used to guide programs in their development of social media.
Article
Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that all graduate medical education (GME) programs provide at least 6 paid weeks off for medical, parental, and caregiver leave to residents. However, it is unclear whether all orthopaedic residency programs have adapted to making specific parental leave policies web-accessible since the ACGME’s mandate in 2022. This gap in policy knowledge leaves both prospective and current residents in the dark when it comes to choosing residency programs, and knowing what leave benefits they are entitled to when having children during training via birth, surrogacy, adoption, or legal guardianship. Questions/purposes (1) What percentage of ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs provide accessible parental leave policies on their program’s website, their GME website, and through direct contact with their program’s administration? (2) What percentage of programs offer specific parental leave policies, generic leave policies, or defer to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Methods As indicated in the American Medical Association’s 2022 Freida Specialty Guide, 207 ACGME-accredited orthopaedic residency programs were listed. After further evaluation using previous literature’s exclusion criteria, 37 programs were excluded based on osteopathic graduate rates. In all, 170 ACGME-accredited allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency programs were identified and included in this study. Three independent reviewers assessed each program website for the presence of an accessible parental leave policy. Each reviewer accessed the program’s public webpage initially, and if no parental leave policy was available, they searched the institution’s GME webpage. If no policy was found online, the program administrator was contacted directly via email and phone. Available leave policies were further classified into five categories by reviewers: parental leave, generic leave, deferred to FMLA, combination of parental and FMLA, and combination of parental and generic leave. Results Our results demonstrated that 6% (10 of 170) of orthopaedic residency programs had policy information available on their program’s main orthopaedic web page. Fifty nine-percent (101 of 170) of orthopaedic residency programs had a clearly stated policy on their institution’s GME website. The remaining 35% (59 of 170) had no information on their public website and required direct communication with program administration to obtain policy information. After directly contacting program administration, 12% (21 of 170) of programs responded to researchers request with a PDF explicitly outlining their policy. Twenty-two percent (38 of 170) of programs did not have an accessible policy available. Of the programs that had available policies, a total of 53% (70 of 132) of programs were categorized as offering explicit parental leave policies, 9% (12 of 132) were categorized as offering general leave policies, and 27% (36 of 132) deferred to FMLA. Seven percent (9 of 132) offered combined parental leave policies with FMLA, and 4% (5 of 132) offered combined general leave policies with FMLA. Conclusion Although most ACGME-accredited allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency programs met the ACGME requirement of written parental leave policies in 2023, a small minority of programs have clear, accessible parental leave policies provided on their webpage. Clinical Relevance Parental leave policies should be easily accessible to prospective and current trainees and should clearly state compensation and length of leave. Ensuring orthopaedic surgery residency programs provide accessible and transparent parental leave policies is important for maintaining diversity in prospective applicants and supporting the work-life balance of current residents.
Article
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Background Social media use has grown across healthcare delivery and practice, with dramatic changes occurring in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to determine the current landscape of social media use by (1) orthopaedic surgery residencies/fellowship training programs and (2) individual orthopaedic surgeons and the change in use over time. Methods We searched 3 electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase) from their inception to April 2022 for all studies that analyzed the use of social media in orthopaedic surgery. Two reviewers independently determined study eligibility, rated study quality, and extracted data. Methodology was in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results Twenty-eight studies were included, of which 11 analyzed social media use by orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship training programs and 17 examined its use by individual orthopaedic surgeons. Among residency and fellowship programs, Instagram was identified as the most common platform used, with 42% to 88% of programs reporting program-specific Instagram accounts, followed by Twitter/X (20%-52%) and Facebook (10%-38%). Social media was most commonly used by programs for recruitment and information dissemination to prospective residency applicants (82% and 73% of included studies, respectively). After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 620% and 177% increase in the number of training programs with Instagram and Twitter/X accounts, respectively. Individual use of social media ranged from 1.7% to 76% (Twitter/X), 10% to 73% (Facebook), 0% to 61% (Instagram), 22% to 61% (LinkedIn), and 6.5% to 56% (YouTube). Conclusions Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook are the premier platforms that patients, residency applicants, and institutions frequent. With the continued growth of social media use anticipated, it will be critical for institutions and individuals to create and abide by guidelines outlining respectful and professional integration of social media into practice. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Article
Background Orthopaedic surgery residency program ranking and leadership can influence applicant and program decision-making. The study objective was to evaluate the relationship between program rankings and characteristics of their leadership. Methods The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Doximity, and program-specific websites were queried, identifying 193 programs and 426 leaders for analysis. Leadership positions evaluated included: Chairs, Vice Chairs, Program Directors, and Assistant Program Directors. Residency programs were categorized into tiers based on 2022-2023 Doximity reputation ranking. Program ranking was stratified as follows: Tier 1 (rank 1-50, highest-ranking programs), Tier 2 (rank 51-100), Tier 3 (rank 101-150), and Tier 4 (rank 151-201, lowest-ranking programs). Leaders were described according to demographics, training, research productivity, and experience. Results A total of 426 leaders at 193 programs were included. The average number of leadership positions per program was 2.2±1.0. Higher-tier programs had more leadership positions and were more likely to have chairpeople ( P <0.001). They also had a larger proportion of women leaders ( P =0.023), although only 11.2% of leaders overall were women. Residency training outside the US did not vary across tiers ( P =0.881). Higher-tier leaders were more likely to complete fellowship ( P <0.001) and specialize in pediatrics, oncology, and spine ( P <0.032), although trauma was the most common specialty among leaders regardless of ranking. Program rank correlated strongly with program size (number of residents) (r ² =−0.69) and weakly with leadership h-index (r ² =−0.33) and research documents (r ² =−0.40). Rank did not correlate with years in practice (r ² =0.06), years until attaining a leadership position (r ² =0.06), or years in present leadership position (r ² =0.07). Conclusions Program ranking correlated with the number of leaders and residents, as well as research productivity, but not with years of experience or training within the US. Top-tier programs have a higher proportion of women leaders, although the overall number is still low.
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Background COVID-19 forced surgical resident training programs to adapt to meet educational requirements within the constraints of various guidelines. Some of the changes implemented during the pandemic have imparted a lasting effect on orthopaedic education. As such, the purpose of this article was to review how orthopaedic training and education were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The published literature was queried using search strategies devised by a medical librarian, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies eligible for inclusion were studies related to COVID-19, orthopaedic surgical training, and medical education. Studies were excluded if they (1) were abstracts, conference proceedings, letters, perspective pieces, reviews, or editorials; (2) evaluated medical student education; (3) included other specialties; or (4) were unrelated to COVID-19 and/or orthopaedic training. Results Eighty-three (n = 83) studies were included. Five themes emerged including (I) Fellowship Application, Interview, and Match Processes; (II) Social Media and Websites for Program Information; (III) Changes in Trainee Surgical Volume; (IV) Trainee Mental Health and Well-being; and (V) Innovations in Education. The pandemic decreased opportunities for medical students to gain exposure to orthopaedic surgery. Social media use, particularly Instagram, among orthopaedic residencies increased during the pandemic. Between the cancellation of away rotations and in-person interviews, applicants saved over $6,000; however, both residency applicants and interviewers preferred in-person interviews. The pandemic led to decreased surgical volume and in-person didactics for trainees, thus relying more on virtual learning. Orthopaedic trainees had mixed feelings regarding online virtual education. Although some respondents reported that they preferred the convenience of online learning, others expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of virtual education. Conclusions The shift to virtual learning affected how applicants learned about residency programs, with many relying on virtual away rotations and social media to compare different programs. The pandemic also highlighted issues of diversity and accessibility within orthopaedic surgery, with cost savings from virtual interviews and canceled away rotations potentially benefiting applicants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Although some innovative approaches and adaptations to orthopaedic education and training have shown promise and may continue to be used in the future after the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of others, such as virtual interviews, is less clear.
Article
Introduction: Social media use has exploded in popularity over the past decade with over 1.5 billion users on Facebook and 320 million users on Twitter. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of social media by orthopaedic journals and determine whether a relationship exists between social media followers and journal impact factor. Methods: The Clarivate Analytics Impact Factor tool was used to identify all orthopaedic journals with a 2022 impact factor of greater than 1.5. We then conducted a query on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to determine which programs had pages on each platform. Results: Seventeen journals were included across all orthopaedic subspecialties. Of the 17 journals, 14 (82.4%) had a Facebook page, eight (47%) had an Instagram page, 15 (88.2%) had a Twitter account, and 8 (47%) had a LinkedIn profile. When compiling the number of followers by social media platform, Twitter had the most (177,543), followed by Facebook (149,388), Instagram (81,739), and LinkedIn (77,459). We found a significant correlation between the number of social media followers and journal impact factor (Pearson correlation coefficient [PCC] = 0.67; P = 0.003). When analyzing each social media platform independently, we found a significant correlation between the number of Facebook and Twitter followers and journal impact factor (PCC = 0.54; P = 0.02 and PCC = 0.80; P < 0.001, respectively). Discussion: We have shown a notable association between the number of social media followers and a journal's impact factor. With the increasing shift toward online distribution, orthopaedic journals may use our data when evaluating their social media strategy to maintain and potentially increase their exposure and potentially their impact factor.
Article
Introduction: Orthopaedic surgery residency applicants submit more applications than ever before. While this issue is multifactorial, increased information and transparency regarding residency programs are important. This study aimed to evaluate the completeness and variability of the information that is currently available regarding orthopaedic residency programs on two publicly available databases, the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) and the newly created Orthopaedic Residency Information Network (ORIN). Methods: Orthopaedic surgery residency programs were identified and evaluated using FREIDA and ORIN on September 11, 2021. Information on the FRIEDA and ORIN databases were evaluated in the following categories: program overview, the residency application, and education information. Univariate statistical analysis was performed on the data. Results: Of the 194 programs that participated in the FREIDA database, over 48% failed to include basic program information including resident demographics and key application information including USMLE Step requirements. Of the 141 programs that participated in the ORIN database, most the programs did not report USMLE Step median and cutoff scores and clerkship grades. Depending on the database and type of information, factors including the program's National Institutes of Health funding, reputation, size, and type were associated with the availability of information. Conclusion: This study showed that while most orthopaedic surgery residency programs participate in FREIDA and ORIN, the information included was highly variable and incomplete for nearly all programs. Improving the completeness of information in these databases has the potential to allow students to make more informed application decisions.
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Background: Applicants to integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) residency in the United States spend exorbitant amounts of time and money throughout the interview process. Outside of first-hand experience through a visiting rotation, applicants utilize various resources in learning about a program. Today's applicants are "Millennials," the demographic cohort raised during the information age and proficient with digital technology. The authors evaluated whether programs have a presence on social media, and whether applicants are following these accounts. Methods: An online survey was sent to applicants to a single integrated plastic surgery program evaluating basic demographics, social media utilization, and sources of information accessed throughout the residency application process. A manual search of popular social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) was performed in October 2019. Accounts affiliated with integrated PRS programs were identified and analyzed. Results: Eighty-four of 222 applicants (37.8%) completed the survey. Ninety-six percent of applicants were within the Millennial demographic. Ninety-six percent of applicants had some form of social media presence, with Facebook (90%) and Instagram (87%) being the most popular platforms. Seventy-three percent of applicants reported following a PRS residency social media account. As of October 2019, 59 integrated residency programs (73%) have active Instagram accounts. Conclusions: Applicants still rely on the program website when researching potential residencies, but social media is being rapidly adopted by programs. Program social media accounts should be used as a dynamic form of communication to better inform applicants of program strengths and weaknesses.
Article
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Objectives In addition to clinical and social disruption, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many aspects of the otolaryngology residency application process. With delays in the 2021 Electronic Residency Applications Service (ERAS) timeline, students and programs have had more time to interact prior to the formal application process. This communication will report recent trends in social media presence by OHNS residency programs, and discuss mechanisms to compensate for decreased applicant-program interactions using social media ahead of the 2021 Match. Methods In a cross-sectional study of the accredited otolaryngology residency programs in the United States, the number of social media profiles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook from 2009 to 2019 were recorded and compared. Results Most programs (61%) have at least 1 social media profile. Over the past 10 years, the number of programs on social media has increased. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter and Instagram showed higher rates of growth compared to Facebook. With the reduction of in-person opportunities for interactions, both applicants and programs are utilizing social media to showcase their values and their research. Twitter, in particular, also serves as a platform for professional networking. Conclusion Both Twitter and Instagram are growing in popularity among programs and applicants to enhance networking. Social media is a powerful tool for networking and may help compensate for limitations imposed on the residency match process by the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining professionalism considerations. The impact of social media on the 2021 otolaryngology residency match is an evolving phenomenon.
Article
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Objective: To evaluate the use of social media platforms by medical students, surgical trainees, and practicing surgeons for surgical education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: An online, 15-question survey was developed and posted on Facebook and WhatsApp closed surgeon groups. Results: The online survey was completed by 219 participants from South America (87%), North America (7%), Europe (5%), Central America, and Asia. Respondents included medical students (6.4%), surgical residents/fellows (24.2%), and practicing surgeons (69.4%). The most common age group was 35-44 years. When asked which social media platforms they preferred, the video sharing site YouTube (33.3%), the messaging app WhatsApp (21%), and "other" (including videoconferencing sites) (22.3%) were most popular. Respondents reported using social media for surgical education either daily (38.4%) or weekly (45.2%), for an average of 1-5 hours/week. Most (85%) opined that surgical conferences that were cancelled during the pandemic should be made available online, with live discussions. Conclusion: Social media use for surgical education during Covid-19 appears to be increasing and evolving.
Article
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Background: Patients often look to social media as an important tool to gather information about institutions and professionals. Since 1990, United States News and World Report (USNWR) has published annual rankings of hospitals and subspecialty divisions. It remains unknown if social media presence is associated with the USNWR gastroenterology and gastrointestinal (GI) surgery divisional rankings, or how changes in online presence over time affects division ranking. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if social media presence is associated with USNWR gastroenterology and GI surgery divisional rankings and to ascertain how changes in online presence over time affect division rankings. Methods: Social media presence among the top 30 institutions listed in the 2014 USNWR gastroenterology and GI surgery divisional rankings were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients and multivariate analysis, controlling for covariates. Linear and logistic regression using data from 2014 and 2016 USNWR rankings were then used to assess the association between institutional ranking or reputation score with any potential changes in numbers of followers over time. Sensitivity analysis was performed by assessing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the follower threshold associated with improved or maintained ranking, which was done by dichotomizing changes in followers at values between the 7000 and 12,000 follower mark. Results: Twitter follower count was an independent predictor of divisional ranking (β=.00004; P<.001) and reputation score (β=-.00002; P=.03) in 2014. Academic affiliation also independently predicted USNWR division ranking (β=5.3; P=.04) and reputation score (β=-7.3; P=.03). Between 2014 and 2016, Twitter followers remained significantly associated with improved or maintained rankings (OR 14.63; 95% CI 1.08-197.81; P=.04). On sensitivity analysis, an 8000 person increase in Twitter followers significantly predicted improved or maintained rankings compared to other cutoffs. Conclusions: Institutional social media presence is independently associated with USNWR divisional ranking and reputation score. Improvement in social media following was also independently associated with improved or maintained divisional ranking and reputation score, with a threshold of 8000 additional followers as the best predictor of improved or stable ranking.
Article
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created several challenges for residency programs and prospective interns alike during the upcoming application cycle, including the cancellation of away sub-internships and in-person interviews. Given prior research documenting that applicants’ application and ranking decisions are significantly influenced by residency webpages, a potential solution to the loss of in-person experiences during the pandemic is the expansion of residency programs’ online presence through their program websites, provision of virtual grand rounds and pseudo-away rotations, and enhancement of virtual interviews. In this editorial, the authors summarize earlier literature querying the content of program websites across fourteen medical specialties, which documented significant gaps in content of interest to applicants. The authors conclude by highlighting several ways to address such gaps in online presence. During an application cycle facing unprecedented resource strain, bolstering the online presence of programs may facilitate an improved fit between programs and future residents.
Article
General surgery residency programs’ use of social media has exploded since early spring 2020, as it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would prevent away rotations and in-person interviews. Faced with the prospect of ranking programs they cannot visit, applicants are becoming reliant on programs’ use of social media to showcase program culture, now a key recruitment tool. However, proper etiquette for applicant engagement with programs’ social media accounts is unclear. Who administers these accounts – residents, program directors, program coordinators, or marketing staff? The subjectivity of criteria for ‘potentially unprofessional’ content may pose disproportionate risks to female applicants and applicants of color. From this applicant's perspective, programs’ recent use of social media has been informative and humanizing. It is my hope that departments, programs and residents continue to post on social media throughout the application cycle. However, we applicants would benefit from clear guidance and expectations as to how to engage with residency programs via social media.
Article
Purpose This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a virtual information session hosted by a diagnostic radiology residency program at addressing applicant concerns about the 2020-2021 interview cycle and highlighting key aspects of the residency program. Methods Participants were recruited to attend the virtual information session over a 2-week period via social media and communication with medical school radiology interest groups. Attendees were able to submit questions or topics of interest prior to the session. The virtual information session was hosted by trainees and faculty from a radiology residency. Data regarding the demographics of the attendees and the efficacy of the session were obtained through interactive live polling during the virtual session and a voluntary anonymous postsession survey. Results A total of 171 attendees participated in the virtual information session. Of the attendees, 42% learned about the session from Twitter and 72% were fourth-year medical students applying for residency. Among topics addressed during the session, attendees indicated that they were most interested in learning about “Application strategies during COVID-19” during an in-session poll. On the post-session survey, 96% of attendees reported being more knowledgeable about the residency program culture and the breadth of research and educational opportunities. Conclusion Given the virtual nature of the 2020-2021 residency application cycle, utilization of web-based platforms for recruitment will be essential. Virtual information sessions can be effective at providing insight into aspects of a residency program that are typically gained during the in-person interview experience.
Article
Background In the next decade, health care reimbursement will be more aligned to patient clinical outcomes. These outcomes are influenced by the patient's perceived opinion of his or her care. An evaluation into the role of surgeon demographics, social media (SM) accessibility, and office wait times was conducted to identify correlations with these among 3 online review platforms. Methods A total of 206 (148 orthopedic, 58 neurosurgery trained) spine surgeons were included. Spine surgeon ratings and demographics data from 3 physician rating websites (Healthgrades.com [HG], Vitals.com, Google.com [G]) were collected in November 2019. Using the first 10 search results from G we then identified if the surgeons had publicly accessible Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (IG) accounts. Results The mean age of the cohort was 54.3 years (±9.40 years), and 28.2% had one form of publicly accessible SM. Having any SM was significantly correlated with higher scores on HG and G. An IG account was associated with significantly higher scores on all 3 platforms, and having a Facebook account correlated with significantly higher scores on HG in multivariate analysis. An office wait time between 16 and 30 minutes and >30 minutes was associated with worse scores on all 3 platforms (all P < 0.05). An academic practice was associated with higher scores on all 3 platforms (P < 0.05). Conclusions A shorter office wait time and an academic setting practice are associated with higher patient satisfaction scores on all 3 physician review websites. Accessible SM accounts are also associated with higher ratings on physician review websites, particularly IG.
Article
Background: Increasing in popularity, social media provides powerful marketing and networking tools for private practice plastic surgeons. The authors sought to examine social media utilization by academic plastic surgery training programs. Methods: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were queried for plastic surgery training program, program director, and chief/chair accounts. Training program posts were categorized as educational, operative, social, informational, self-promotional, visiting lecturer, research-related, and other. Factors influencing total number of followers were analyzed including number of accounts followed, frequency, total number, and types of posts as well as duration of account. Other variables included geographic location, 2018 to 2019 Doximity residency ranking, and US News and World Report rankings of affiliated hospital systems and medical schools. Social media accounts were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon rank sum, and regression analysis. Results: Facebook is the most popular social media platform among chiefs/chairs (34, 35.7%), followed by Instagram (20, 21.1%) and Twitter (19, 20.0%). Facebook is used more by program directors (31, 32.6%) followed by Instagram (22, 23.1%) and Twitter (15, 15.7%). The majority of Facebook and Twitter leadership accounts are for personal use (62%-67%), whereas Twitter is used primarily for professional purposes (60%-84%). Training program social media use is rising, with Instagram and Twitter presence growing at exponential rates (R = 0.97 and 0.97, respectively). Of 95 training programs evaluated, 54 (56.8%) have Instagram accounts, 29 (30.5%) have Facebook accounts, and 27 (28.4%) have Twitter accounts. Most training programs using social media have 2 or more accounts (37, 67.3%). West coast programs have more Instagram followers than other geographic regions, significantly more than Southern programs (P = 0.05). Program accounts with more followers are affiliated with top-ranked hospitals (P = 0.0042) or top-ranked Doximity training programs (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Similar to its adoption by private practice plastic surgery, social media use in academic plastic surgery is growing exponentially. Now, over half of residency programs have Instagram accounts. Program leaders are using Facebook and Instagram primarily for personal use and Twitter for professional use. Programs affiliated with a top-ranked hospital or ranked highly by Doximity have more followers on social media.