Social Media in Surgical Training: Opportunities and Risks

Social media as a mechanism of dissemination and knowledge translation among health professions educators: a scoping review

Health professions educators often use social media to share knowledge; however, it is unclear what specific dissemination and knowledge translation (KT) processes are occurring and the implications of this sharing for health professions education (HPE). This study explored how educators have used social media as a mechanism of dissemination and KT in the literature. A critical scoping review methodology, informed by Engeström's Activity Theory, was employed. Twelve databases were searched and studies that: (a) addressed health professions educators; (b) described the use of social media for dissemination or KT; (c) focused on a regulated health profession; (d) focused on undergraduate or graduate education; and (e) were published in English or French between 2011 and 2021 were included. Data were analyzed using numerical and qualitative content analyses. Of the 4859 articles screened, 37 were eligible for inclusion. Social media may facilitate knowledge sharing in HPE, but there is a lack of conceptual clarity on what is meant by 'dissemination' and 'KT'. Who is responsible for sharing knowledge, what knowledge is being shared, and the target audiences are not always clear. Multiple factors (e.g., affordances, opportunity costs) influence how social media is used as a mechanism of dissemination, and it remains unclear whether and how it is used as a mechanism of KT. Concepts like KT and dissemination, which are often borrowed from other disciplines, must be critically evaluated for their relevance and suitability if they are to be appropriately applied to HPE and in particular to social media. Educators looking to use social media to teach students about KT should consider whether this use of technology truly aligns with their stated learning outcomes.

Social media use among French spine surgeons: an underrated tool?

PURPOSE

The goal of this study was to determine the use of social media (SM) among the French spine surgeons.

METHODS

In 2022, an online questionnaire has been sent to the community of French spine surgeons. All surgeons were asked to answer a 21-question survey about their use of SM in their daily practice.

RESULTS

Eighty-five surgeons were included, with 80% claiming to use SM. Mean age was 45 ± 10.7. Usage rate significantly differed among experience categories: 85% of younger surgeons and 69% after ten years of experience (p = 0.01). LinkedIn was the most commonly used (78% among SM users), then Facebook (46%). Instagram was less used by most experienced surgeons (p = 0.01). Time spent on SM was more important at home (p < 0.01). About 31% of participants' patients were able to contact their surgeon through SM, mainly through LinkedIn, professional websites and Facebook (respectively 15%, 13% and 12%). Pictural data were shared on SM by 29% of SM users, mainly on LinkedIn (19%), then professional websites (12%). Google reviews were significantly less valued by most experienced surgeons (p = 0.01) but more valued by private practice surgeons (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

80% of French spine surgeons use social media for professional purposes. However, SM may not be used to its full potential as only 25% of SM-using broadcast pictures and contact their patients through SM. The most popular network is LinkedIn, followed by Facebook. Most experienced surgeons use less SM, particularly Instagram, and value less Google reviews.

Social media (some) models in resident education

Social media has changed the way in which we communicate, as it has grown tremendously in the past decade. Social media platforms have even penetrated the area of surgery and surgical education. The COVID-19 pandemic has even further pushed for more innovative communication and surgical education methods, such as case and video discussions, asking for advice, and having journal clubs. In this article, we review several social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and others, and the ways that they have been integrated into surgical education.

Microlearning through TikTok in Higher Education. An evaluation of uses and potentials

While social media is evolving rapidly, understanding its underlying and persistent features with the potential to support high-quality learning would provide opportunities to enhance competence acquisition and collaborative work in higher education. Moreover, the adoption of tools that students already use in their everyday lives facilitates the integration of new forms of learning. In this context, we have developed an initiative to disseminate content through TikTok in three modules of the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing course, with the aim of promoting quality learning through these microlearning environments. To this end, we have implemented these learning environments and evaluated the users' perceptions, as well as their level of acceptance of the technology according to the Technology Acceptance Model. Overall, our results show high levels of satisfaction with regard to engagement and the content generated, as well as in terms of the acceptance of the technology. Our results do not show gender-specific variations, but we did detect slight variations depending on the subject in which the microlearning tool was deployed. Although for the most part these variations do not change the participants' assessment of their experience, it will be necessary in the future to determine the underlying reasons for these variations. In addition, our results suggest that it is possible to design a content creation system to promote quality learning through microlearning that can be transferred to other subjects, at least in the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-023-11904-4.

Social Media in Aesthetic Dermatology: Analysis of the Users Behind the Top Filler Posts

BACKGROUND

Within the aesthetic realm, the influence of social media is quite prominent, with a growing percentage of patients using this technology to seek out health care recommendations and education.

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the most accurate representation of what our patients may encounter on social media, we sought to characterize the top posts on the most popular visually-based social media platform (Instagram).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We queried Instagram with variations of hashtags related to filler to determine which hashtags had the greatest number of posts associated with them. We then reviewed the top 100 posts associated with the top 9 hashtags, making note of whether the poster was a physician or nonphysician and whether an off-label procedure was performed or discussed.

RESULTS

Most (85.6%) of the 900 reviewed posts were written by nonphysicians, and most (84.6%) of the posts focused on off-label procedures were posted by nonphysicians. Among the physician posters, the most common specialties were Plastic Surgery and Family Medicine, followed by Dermatology.

CONCLUSION

At a time when patients are increasingly turning to social media for health care recommendations and education, most "top" content related to soft tissue augmentation is being provided by nonphysicians, many of whom are performing off-label procedures.

Frequency and Characteristics of Social Media Use among General Surgery Trainees

INTRODUCTION

With increased social isolation due to COVID-19, social media has been increasingly adopted for communication, education, and entertainment. We sought to understand the frequency and characteristics of social media usage among general surgery trainees.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

General surgery trainees in 15 American training programs were invited to participate in an anonymous electronic survey. The survey included questions about demographics, frequency of social media usage, and perceptions of risks and benefits of social media. Univariate analysis was performed to identify differences between high users of social media (4-7 h per week on at least one platform) and low users (0-3 h or less on all platforms).

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-seven of 591 (26.6%) trainees completed the survey. Most respondents were PGY3 or lower (75%) and high users of social media (74.5%). Among high users, the most popular platforms were Instagram (85.7%), YouTube (85.1%), and Facebook (83.6%). YouTube and Twitter were popular for surgical education (77.3% and 68.2%, respectively). The most reported benefits of social media were improving patient education and professional networking (85.0%), where high users agreed more strongly about these benefits (P = 0.002). The most reported risks were seeing other residents (42%) or attendings (17%) with unprofessional behavior. High users disagreed more strongly about risks, including observing attendings with unprofessional behavior (P = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

Most respondents were high users of social media, particularly Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. High users incorporated social media into their surgical education while perceiving more benefits and fewer risks of social media.

Trend of social media use by undergraduate medical students; a comparison between medical students and educators

Purpose

Social media (SM) is one of the most powerful tools of communication and learning in the recent era. Different types of information can be shared through these social networking sites in the form of texts, videos, pictures, audios, and references (contacts). Due to the constant increase in the use of these social networking sites in our daily routine life especially during the COVID 19 pandemic, their use in teaching and learning has become inevitable. Social media has immense potential to enhance its role in educational settings. Both the students and educators use it for communication, education, sharing and expressing knowledge, and recreation. Therefore, the present study aims to find out the most frequently used social network sites for learning and easy communication between medical students and educators.

Objective

This study sought to explore the most frequently used social networking sites by the medical students and educators at Batterjee Medical College.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the trends of usage of SM as an extracurricular way of enhancing learning and teaching experience among medical students and educators in Batterjee Medical College; Saudi Arabia from November 2020 to March 2021.

A pre-validated self-administrated questionnaire was built using Google Drive forms and distributed to medical students and educators via emails and WhatsApp. Convenient sampling was used to collect the data.

Conclusion

Social media has immense potential to enhance its role in educational settings. Students in our study preferred YouTube and WhatsApp for their learning and communication especially, during COVID 19 pandemic. However, to further enhance their utility choosing the right platform, the amount and quality of the information shared to ensure optimal benefit, providing ethical guides, and professional standards for SM use at institutional levels are the few challenges that need to address.

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Our study has also shown the common use of SM by educators and students in the medical field.

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Contemporary and efficient use of social media in medical education cannot be overlooked by educators.

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The students and educators have appreciated the role and availability of social media websites for their easy communication and continuous support for their educational activities during the COVID pandemic.

Five Years In: The AAOS Resident Assembly, "Bidirectional Communication," and Early Career Involvement in Orthopaedic Leadership

Established in 2014, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Resident Assembly (RA) has served as a mode of "bidirectional communication" between AAOS and a combined resident body. Training and education initiatives relevant to the current issues facing residency training can be passed up to and directly addressed by the leadership of AAOS, whereas AAOS recruitment and membership initiatives can be disseminated to the full resident body through the RA. Since its inception in 2014, the RA has grown markedly, with representation from most MD and DO residency programs in the United States and Canada. It also has included an increasing number of medical students from Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Groups to directly take part in RA activities. For the past half decade, the RA has served as a partner for the AAOS in addition to a valuable recruitment tool to engage the broadest diversity of potential orthopaedic leaders at their earliest stages of training. This work is a review of the development of the RA over its first half decade, as well as a discussion of its future goals in line with AAOS priorities.

Distance Education for Basic Surgical Skills Using Homemade Tools—DIY Methods for Emergency Situations

The aim of our research was to establish a reproducible curriculum that offers the possibility to gain basic surgical skills (knot tying, suturing, laparoscopy basics) through distance education in emergency situations by using tools available in the household. Forty-six volunteering third- and fourth-year medical students were involved in the study. The distance education system was set up using homemade or easily obtainable tools (an empty can, shoe box, sponge, etc.) to teach surgical knotting, suturing, and basic laparoscopic skills. The reachable learning objectives were contrasted with the original course plan. Feedback from the students has been collected. The students’ results were compared to the regular course of the previous years. Seventy-nine percent of the original learning objectives could be reached completely, and 15% partially. The necessary tools were available for 82% of the students. The students evaluated the course for 4.26 in general and 4.86 considering the circumstances (on a 5-level-scale). The homemade trainers were assessed over four as an acceptable substitution. Students’ exam results decreased only by 7% compared to the previous two years. Basic surgical skills can be educated with acceptable efficiency and student satisfaction using distance teaching and homemade tools. This is the first study where not only the simulators but the surgical instruments were replaced with household tools and evaluated by a reproducible curriculum.

Representation of Global Health Initiatives in Plastic Surgery Training: A Social Media Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Over the last several years, various social media platforms have been used to increase collaboration, education, and research internationally. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how plastic surgery residency programs use social media to promote global surgery education, research, and collaboration.

METHODS

A full list of active integrated residency programs was obtained from the American College of Academic Plastic Surgeons website. A total of 82 programs were identified. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter were searched for active accounts. Only accounts dedicated to plastic surgery programs or had a significant amount of residency-related content were included. Inclusion criteria included posts relating to global health, global surgery, mission trips, international plastic surgery education, and global surgery research. Caption language was analyzed and classified as either "resident education in global surgery," "an individual's interest in global surgery," "research in global surgery," "visiting international professor," or "global collaboration." Image content was then assessed for "images with patients," "images with other surgeons/residents," "images of international location," a combination thereof, "other," or "none."

RESULTS

Instagram was by far the most used by plastic surgery residency programs with a total of 76 programs having accounts compared with only 32 programs and 33 programs having Facebook and Twitter accounts, respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportional number of posts relating to global surgery across the 3 platforms (P = 0.1911). On all 3 social media platforms, the majority of posts fell into the category of "international collaboration" with 42.5%, 50.7%, and 48.8% on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, respectively. None of the caption categories examined showed a significantly different proportion of posts across the 3 platforms. Image analysis showed a significant difference in the proportional representation across the 3 platforms in the categories of "images with other surgeons/residents" (P = 0.0196) "images with patients" (P = 0.0082), combination (P = 0.0225), and other (P = 0.0114).

CONCLUSIONS

Although social media offers programs an easy way to promote global surgery research, collaboration, and education with a wider audience, it is being underused for this purpose as evident by the relatively lower number of postings on each platform relating to this content.

Effectivity of Distance Learning in the Training of Basic Surgical Skills—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Distance learning is an interactive way of education when teachers and students are physically separated. Our purpose was to examine its effectivity in training of basic surgical techniques and to provide an alternative sustainable methodology for the training of medical professionals. Methods: Sixty students were involved in our single blinded randomized controlled study. Six homogenized groups were created then randomized into three groups of distance learning and three groups of in-person teaching. The groups completed the same curriculum using our own “SkillBox”. All students took the same pre- and post-course test evaluated blindly. The students filled out an online feedback form after the course. A financial analysis was also made. Results: There was no significant difference in the post-course exam results (distance 28.200 vs. in-person 25.200). We managed to achieve significantly better improvements in the distance learning of suturing (distance 19.967 vs. in-person 15.900, p = 0.043). According to 93% of the study group students, the quality of teaching did not decrease compared to the traditional classes. Conclusion: The results of the students improved similarly in distance learning and in-person education. The online form of teaching was received positively among the students; they found it an effective and good alternative.

The Use of Social Media to Deliver Surgical Education in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

As clinical rotations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with surgical specialty being the one most severely affected among all disciplines, social media had become increasingly used for surgical education. We aimed to identify and present the application of social media as an essential tool for surgical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for potentially eligible articles published until April 2021. The review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 23 articles were identified and systematically reviewed that related to the application of social media use in surgical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. These may be grouped into 3 discrete categories (online learning, scientific research, networking) and 14 topics (online resources, virtual conferencing, preparing for exams, etc.).

CONCLUSIONS

Social media has played a multidimensional critical role in training surgical students and residents in the COVID-19 era, with special superiority that cannot be substituted by other online tools.

Leveraging Twitter and its Unique #HashTag Capability: A Novel Social Media Resource From the European Hernia Society

Background: Digital and Social Media (#SoMe) platforms have revolutionized the way information is shared, classified and accessed among medical professionals worldwide. The aim of this study was to review the hashtags used on Twitter by @EuroHerniaS to provide a practical roadmap for easier social media utilization for hernia surgery stakeholders. Methods: The hashtags used in tweets and retweets of the @EuroHerniaS Twitter feed were collated since its foundation in November 2016. Results: The first hashtag used was #HerniaSurgery. Since foundation to July 2021, the @EuroHerniaS Twitter feed has used 90 separate hashtags. The number of new hashtags per year was increasing leading to the development of an online library. The increasing diversity of hernia related hashtags allows for the more detailed posting and searching of hernia related information on the #SoMe platform Twitter. Conclusion: The more detailed use of hashtags on Twitter is to be encouraged. Hernia surgeons can make use of them both when posting and reviewing posts to aid the categorization of posts.

The Influence of an Online Platform (Hernia U) in Surgical Education and Patient Management

Introduction

Hernia U was created with the objective to expand the educational landscape of abdominal wall surgery. It is an online platform where surgeons can register with no cost and subscribe for different courses. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the platform on patient management and surgical education.

Methods

A questionnaire regarding the influence of Hernia U in surgical education and patient management was emailed to professionals who had previously participated in any course of the Hernia U. Variables were shown with absolute and relative frequencies. Pearson's χ² and Fisher's exact test were performed to analyze relationships between variables as appropriate.

Results

Nine hundred three participants responded to the questionnaire. Seven hundred fifty-two (83.3%) were men; 248 (27.4%) participants were older than 50 years old; 240 (26.6%) were between 41 and 50 years old. Two hundred seventy-four (30.4%) participants had been in practice for more than 20 years, 242 (26.8%) between 11 and 20 years, and 161(17.8%) between 5 and 10 years. When analyzing the impact of time spent on the platform, spending over an hour per week was significantly associated with self-reported change in practice patterns compared to spending less than an hour per week (p < 0.0003). More experienced surgeons (10 or more years of practice) were less likely to change their practice patterns when compared to less experienced surgeons.

Conclusion

Hernia U has allowed surgeons to change their daily practice and to boost their education. Surgeons spending more than one hour weekly in the platform are more likely to adopt changes.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Teaching- and Learning-Related Content Nursing Students Share to Social Media

Background: Social media have many applications in health professions education. The current literature focuses on how faculty members use social media to supplement their teaching; less is known about how the students themselves use social media to support their educational activities. In this study, this digital artifact collection qualitatively explored what educational content nursing students shared with their social media accounts. Methods: A total of 24 nursing students' Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts were followed over 5 months. A modified directed content analysis was conducted weekly and at the end of the data collection period, using two cycles of inductive and deductive coding. Results: This study demonstrated that nursing students used social media to combat isolation, to consolidate course content, to share resources, and to better anticipate the transition to practice as a new nurse. Conclusions: Faculty members can capitalize on social media platforms to help nursing students explore nursing roles and identities while learning about and enacting professional online behaviours.

Social Media and Its Use in Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Education and Training

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The use of social media by health-care professionals and medical educators has been increasing over the past decade.

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Online social networks, professional networks, blogs, microblogs, forums, podcasts, and video-sharing platforms can be used effectively to communicate and engage with, as well as learn from, other residents and attending physicians worldwide.

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Social media platforms and other web-based applications can serve as powerful educational tools to enhance orthopaedic resident learning, collaboration, teaching, and case discussion.

Patterns of General Surgery Residency Social Media Use in the Age of COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

The role for social media use by General Surgery departments continues to expand and social media accounts have been increasingly implemented as a tool for residency program for promotion and engagement. The importance of these accounts appears to have increased given the unprecedented changes with COVID-19 and the dramatic and unpredictable change to the application cycle including the use of virtual interviews, suggesting a perceived need for increased online engagement with applicants. The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of creation and usage of Twitter and Instagram accounts of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited General Surgery residency programs and their associated surgical departments.

METHORDS

A cross-sectional study of the use of Twitter and Instagram by the 332 ACGME-accredited General Surgery residency programs and their associated departments was conducted in February 2021. Twitter and Instagram accounts were identified by accessing program/department websites as well as social media platform and internet searches. Year of creation, number of followers, and number of posts (July 1, 2018-December 31, 2020) were collected. Trends in usage were compared across years stratified by platform and by account owner (department vs. residency).

RESULTS

Instagram accounts are more than five-times greater for residencies compared to departments (42% vs 8%, p < 0.001). There was not a significant difference between the number of department and residency Twitter accounts (26% vs 23%, p = 0.37). Significantly more residency Instagram and Twitter accounts were created or first posted in 2020 compared to department accounts (Instagram: 100 vs 7, p < 0.001; Twitter: 31 vs 6, p = 0.001). Over 18% of residency programs had both Twitter and Instagram accounts compared to only 6% of departments (p < 0.001). However, department Twitter and Instagram accounts had significantly higher median total posts from 7/1/2018-12/31/2020 (Twitter: p = 0.0001, Instagram p = 0.004). While the number of Instagram followers and accounts being followed were similar between residencies and departments, department Twitter accounts had a larger median number of followers (1141 vs. 430, p=0.003) and account followings (308 vs. 192, p = 0.001) compared to residency accounts.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of residency social media accounts has significantly increased in 2020 compared to account creation of departments, with Instagram account creation exceeding that of Twitter and of departments. The opposite pattern in usage was seen related to number of posts, and with Twitter, followers, and number of followings, with departments outpacing residencies. This significant increase in account creation may have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the change to a virtual interview season, suggesting an unprecedented need for online engagement with applicants. As the increased social media presence will likely persist in future application cycles, further study about the impact of residency social media use on recruitment and applicant decision-making as well as effective strategies, is needed.

Characterizing the social media footprint of general surgery residency programs

Background

The medical community has increasingly embraced social media for a variety of purposes, including trainee education, research dissemination, professional networking, and recruitment of trainees and faculty. Platform choice and usage patterns appear to vary by specialty and purpose, but few studies comprehensively assess programs’ social media presence. Prior studies assessed general surgery departments’ Twitter use but omitted additional social media platforms and residency-specific accounts.

Objective

This study sought to broadly characterize the social media footprint of U.S. general surgery residency programs.

Methods

Using a protocolized search of program websites, social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and internet search, cross-sectional data on social media usage in March 2020 were collected for programs, their affiliated departments, their program directors (PDs), and their assistant/associate PDs (APDs).

Results

318 general surgery residency programs, 313 PDs, and 296 APDs were identified. 47.2% of programs had surgery-specific accounts on ≥1 platform. 40.2% of PDs and APDs had ≥1 account on Twitter and/or LinkedIn. Program type was associated with social media adoption and Twitter utilization, with lower usage among university-affiliated and independent programs (p<0.01).

Conclusions

Most general surgery residencies, especially non-university-based programs, lacked any department or residency accounts across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by March 2020. These findings highlight opportunities for increased social media engagement and act as a pre-pandemic baseline for future investigations of how the shift to virtual trainee education, recruitment, conferences, and clinical care affect social media use.

The Neurosurgical Atlas: advancing neurosurgical education in the digital age

OBJECTIVE

The advent of the internet and the popularity of e-learning resources has promoted a shift in medical and surgical education today. The Neurosurgical Atlas has sought to capitalize on this shift by providing easily accessible video and online education to its users on an international scale. The rising popularity of social media has provided new avenues for expanding that global reach, and the Atlas has sought to do just that. In this study, the authors analyzed user demographics and web traffic patterns to quantify the international reach of the Atlas and examined the potential impact of social media platforms on the expansion of that reach.

METHODS

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram metrics were extracted using each respective service's analytics tool from the date of their creation through October 2019. Google Analytics was used to extract website traffic data from September 2018 to September 2019 and app data from January 2019 to October 2019. The metrics extracted included the number of platform users/followers, user demographic information, percentage of new versus returning visitors, and a number of platform-specific values.

RESULTS

Since the authors' previous publication in 2017, annual website viewership has more than doubled to greater than 500,000 viewing sessions in the past year alone; international users accounted for more than 60% of the visits. The Atlas Twitter account, established in August 2012, has more than 12,000 followers, primarily hailing from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The Atlas Facebook account, established in 2013, has just over 13,000 followers, primarily from India, Egypt, and Mexico. The Atlas Instagram account (established most recently, in December 2018) has more than 16,000 followers and the highest percentage (31%) of younger users (aged 18-24 years). The Atlas app was officially launched in May 2019, largely via promotion on the Atlas social media platforms, and has since recorded more than 60,000 viewing sessions, 80% of which were from users outside the United States.

CONCLUSIONS

The Neurosurgical Atlas has attempted to leverage the many e-learning resources at its disposal to assist in spreading neurosurgical best practice on an international scale in a novel and comprehensive way. By incorporating multiple social media platforms into its repertoire, the Atlas is able to ensure awareness of and access to these resources regardless of the user's location or platform of preference. In so doing, the Atlas represents a novel way of advancing access to neurosurgical educational resources in the digital age.

Survey of Social Media Use for Surgical Education During Covid-19

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.

Social Media in Surgery

Social media has become a permeating form of communication with billions of daily users. Twitter in particular has become a tool for the surgical community to engage with other providers, as well as patients, through active online discussions, sharing of research, and highlighting opportunities for community outreach. Twitter can help with personal branding, mentorship, and international collaboration on multiple types of academic endeavors. Likewise, institutional and residency programs can harness the power of social media to develop an online presence and aid in resident recruitment.

Surgical Training 2.0: A systematic approach reviewing the literature focusing on oral maxillofacial surgery - Part II

PURPOSE

Many technologies are emerging in the medical field. Having an overview of the technological arsenal available to train new surgeons seems very interesting to guide subsequent surgical training protocols.

METHODS

This article is a systematic approach reviewing new technologies in surgical training, in particular in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This review explores what new technologies can do compared to traditional methods in the field of surgical education. A structured literature search of PubMed was performed in adherence to PRISMA guidelines. The articles were selected when they fell within predefined inclusion criteria while respecting the key objectives of this systematic review. We looked at medical students and more specifically in surgery and analysed whether exposure to new technologies improved their surgical skills compared to traditional methods. Each technology is reviewed by highlighting its advantages and disadvantages and studying the feasibility of integration into current practice.

RESULTS

The results are encouraging. Indeed, all of these technologies make it possible to reduce the learning time, the operating times, the operating complications and increase the enthusiasm of the students compared to more conventional methods. The start-up cost, the complexity to develop new models, and the openness of mind necessary for the integration of these technologies are all obstacles to immediate development. The main limitations of this review are that many of the studies have been carried out on small numbers, they are not interested in acquiring knowledge or skills over the long term and obviously there is a publication bias.

CONCLUSION

Surgical education methods will probably change in the years to come, integrating these new technologies into the curriculum seems essential so as not to remain on the side. This second part therefore reviews, social networks, serious games and virtual reality. This Systematic review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020181376).

The Hidden Curriculum: Strategies for Preparing Residents for Practice

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The goal of this paper was to identify areas of importance in modern urology education that are not currently emphasized in current urological curricula.

RECENT FINDINGS

We identified curricular deficits in robotic surgical simulation, transgender health, leadership, business management, and social media training. Few practicing urologists feel comfortable managing transgender-specific needs, and most training programs do not adequately address transgender health. Urology programs also do not sufficiently emphasize topics in leadership, business management, or appropriate social media usage. With respect to simulation, while it is currently included in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) program requirements, it is currently under-utilized for training in robotic surgery. It is important for urologists to receive adequate training for the modern practice landscape. Where knowledge gaps among early practicing urologists arise, programs should adapt their curricula to address them.

Use of Social Media to Teach Global Reconstructive Surgery: Initiation of a Secret Facebook Group

The ReSurge Global Training Program (RGTP) is a model for building reconstructive surgery capacity in low- and middle-income countries.¹ The aim of this study is to assess attitudes toward social media, to develop an initial RGTP Facebook Education Group, and to assess the early results of the group’s implementation.

Impact of social media on the continuous education of the general surgeon, a new experience, @Cirbosque: A Latin American example

Social media has gained widespread recognition for its importance in the medical field. Such platforms play an important role for learning and teaching, because knowledge can be transmitted instantly and massively, and specialists in different world-wide locations can discuss experiences instantaneously. The present article presents our experience of using social media to facilitate surgical learning while encouraging leadership and global mentoring. This retrospective descriptive study was initiated at the time of the creation of our social media handle on Twitter, February 22, 2019. Since that time, we have posted 10,587 academic tweets; the monthly growth rate has been 9% (393 new followers per month). Currently, we have 4,213 followers, 11,241,000 impressions, 121,105 visits, and 121,105 mentions. We have reviewed 59 topics of interest in general surgery and 132 clinical cases in trauma, as well as in hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, thoracic, and acute-care surgery. We have made 13 image challenges using illustrations of diagnostic and intraoperative images. Although the evidence is uncertain to promote education performed entirely through social media, we show that @Cirbosque has been effective, and the impact of this initiative on Twitter is appreciated by many surgeons worldwide, including renowned teachers in each of the topics addressed. Furthermore, the number of participants in the discussions increased each day, as did all impact indicators according to Twitter Analytics. Thus, we conclude that the educational message of @Cirbosque is having a positive effect and reaching thousands of people worldwide, suggesting that others can develop similar outreach programs in education and communication.

Use of social media for surgical education in Australia and New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Social media are an increasingly important tool for educators, although their use for surgical education in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has not been quantified. This study aimed to determine the social media presence of surgical training institutions in ANZ, quantify the proportion of their social media content that is educational, compare engagement between educational and non-educational content, and determine perspectives on using social media for education.

METHODS

An online search was conducted in October 2018 to determine the social media presence of surgical training institutions accredited to deliver under- and post-graduate surgical education in ANZ. All their posts on Facebook and Twitter from November 2017 to October 2018 were categorized as educational or non-educational. Engagement on Twitter was analysed using retweets. An online survey was distributed to each institution to investigate their social media strategy and opinions on the use of social media for surgical education.

RESULTS

Seven out of 37 (19%) surgical training institutions had active social media accounts. Educational content accounted for 677/4615 (14.7%) of their posts. Educational content was retweeted more often than non-educational content (17.2 versus 5.4, P = 0.002). Seven out of 37 (19%) institutions responded to the survey, with one respondent having a policy for and utilising social media for surgical education.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media are being used by a minority of surgical training institutions for educational purposes in ANZ. Social media content is primarily non-educational although educational posts attract more engagement. Further research is required to assess the efficacy of surgical education on social media.

Using Mobile Text and Media to Complement Teaching in a Facial Reconstruction Training Module in Haiti

OBJECTIVES

(1) To describe electronic communication between global surgeons and trainees in a low-middle income country (LMIC) and to gauge appeal of the WhatsApp platform (2) To introduce a novel intensive ear reconstruction teaching module for surgical capacity building using simulation in a LMIC.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

University-based medical center in Haiti.

PARTICIPANTS

Eleven otolaryngology trainees and faculty in Haiti.

RESULTS

Three months prior to on-site arrival, a WhatsApp Messenger group was created for information-sharing and distribution of teaching materials. A surgical curriculum was created to incorporate didactics, cartilage framework simulation, and live surgery. During the intensive on-site week, WhatsApp was used to distribute materials and to recap learning points from each case, with pre- and postoperative surgical photographs circulated. Postmodule written, oral, and practical testing was conducted on the final day, and a postmodule survey was administered a month later. Post-tests scores were significantly improved from pretests scores. Initial scores on the written, oral, and practical tests averaged 24.6%. Postmodule scores averaged 86.9% (p < 0.001). Participants rated the use of WhatsApp to be highly important to their learning and requested further use of mobile health technology.

CONCLUSIONS

WhatsApp Messenger technology complemented a reconstructive surgery education module in a LMIC. WhatsApp provides opportunities for premodule patient screening, real-time discussion, and postmodule review. Its usage was well-received by Haitian otolaryngology trainees and faculty. Our results suggest that the combination of didactic teaching, simulated surgery, and live surgery resulted in successful transfer of both skills and knowledge.