Insta-grated Plastic Surgery Residencies: The Rise of Social Media Use by Trainees and Responsible Guidelines for Use

Assessing the influence of neurology Residency's social media presence on Applicants' decision to apply to US residency training programs

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic extensively changed the United States residency application process, including transitioning interviews from in-person to virtually. This study aims to determine the effect of a neurology residency programs' social media presence on applicants and to identify aspects of the program's social media profile influencing students' decisions to apply.

METHODS

This is an observational cross-sectional study of neurology residency applicants utilizing a 10-question survey distributed from October 2022 to March 2023. 115/176 (65%) applicants participated. Statistical tests were performed using SPSS Statistics. Categorical variables were presented as percentages of the total group. Categorical Likert Scale responses were assigned numerical values from one to five and presented as means.

RESULTS

Most participants (87.8%) used social media to learn about neurology residency programs. Most participants (52.5) used both Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Prominent factors affecting program selection were the number of posts and format, layout, or aesthetics of the social media profile. The most influential posts pertained to program culture, with the least influential posts highlighting specific residents. Social media presence had a small-moderate effect on selecting programs for application, and a small effect on ranking programs.

CONCLUSION

Overall, social media profiles have a small to moderate impact on the decision to apply to a specific neurology program, with less effect on the ranking process. These findings can assist residency programs in tailoring social media presence to better align with the preferences of applicants.

Gender Affirmation Surgery-related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Patient Care

Background

Gender-affirmation surgery (GAS) allows for transgender and nonconforming patients to achieve a more congruent physical appearance and alleviate dysphoria. Social media, such as Instagram, has adopted an increasingly important role in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and understanding trends and usage related to GAS can have significant implications for patient education and outreach. As such, this cross-sectional study aims to address the following questions related to GAS-related content available on Instagram: (1) Who is posting this content? (2) What specific hashtags are they using? and (3) What are the implications behind these posts?

Methods

This study analyzed 22 GAS-related hashtags on Instagram. Content analysis was then used to evaluate the "top" 15 posts (n = 330) associated with each hashtag.

Results

A total of 425,607 posts were associated with the 22 hashtags queried. #topsurgery had the highest number of associated posts (n = 279,480), followed by #ftmtopsurgery (n = 41,769) and #vaginoplasty (n = 39,737). Of the "top" 330 posts, 299 were not duplicates. Plastic surgeons eligible for membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons accounted for only 1.7% of "top" posts (n = 5); noneligible physicians accounted for 6.0% of posts (n = 18). Patients accounted for the majority of the "top" posts sampled (n = 236; 79.9%).

Conclusions

When used appropriately, social media can be a powerful tool for spreading awareness on procedures and educating patients. Although there is a paucity of plastic surgeons posting GAS-related content on Instagram, patients are playing an important role in disseminating information.

The Ethics and Responsibilities of Social Media Usage by Plastic Surgeons: A Literature Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Social media has revolutionised how plastic surgeons advertise their work and promote their services, but concerns have been raised regarding the ethics of these practices. This review aims to identify said concerns and develop measures to address them.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane and Medline were searched for studies assessing the ethics of social media use by plastic surgeons. Five search terms were used and 23 studies identified. Results were catalogued according to which principle of medical ethics was infringed.

RESULTS

Autonomy: Patients must not be coerced into allowing their operative media to be shared and content anonymised by removing identifiable features and scrubbing metadata. Beneficence: It is difficult to balance the benefit to patients of posting photographs for educational purposes with the risk of identifiable features being present, particularly within craniofacial surgery. Non-maleficence: Taking operative media could be a distraction from the patient and lengthen the procedure which could lead to harm. Any content posted on social media should be adapted to avoid trivialisation or sexualisation. Justice: Surgeons should not entertain their audience to increase their following at the expense of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater oversight of social media use by plastic surgeons is required to avoid patient harm and tarnishing of the specialty's professional standing. Professional bodies should be tasked with devising a course dedicated to the responsible use of these platforms. This should ensure the public's trust in the specialty does not become eroded and patients are not harmed by unethical social media use. This review highlights the relevant shortfalls of SoMe use by plastic surgery Several proposals are made to reduce the incidence of these shortfalls and to ensure SoMe is used in a professional and responsible manner It also lists areas of the specialty where SoMe is underused and could be of help, such as academia LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266 .

Identifying Barriers Faced by Applicants without a Home Residency Program when Matching into Plastic Surgery

Background  Applying into plastic surgery (PS) is competitive. Lacking a home residency program (HRP) is another barrier. Our goal is to characterize challenges faced by PS applicants without HRPs and identify solutions. Methods  Surveys were designed for current integrated PS residents and applicants in the 2022 Match without HRPs. Surveys were distributed electronically. Only U.S. allopathic graduate responses were included. Results  Of 182 individuals surveyed, 74 responded (39%, 33 residents, 41 applicants). Sixty-six percent reported feeling disadvantaged due to lack of an HRP. Seventy-six percent of applicants successfully matched. Of these, 48% felt they required academic time off (research year) versus 10% of unmatched applicants. Ninety-seven percent of matched applicants identified a mentor versus 40% of unmatched applicants ( p  < 0.05). Matched applicants identified mentors through research (29%) and cold calling/emailing (25%). Matched versus unmatched applicants utilized the following resources: senior students (74 vs. 10%, p  < 0.05) and social media (52 vs. 10%, p  < 0.05). Among residents, 16 had PS divisions (48%). Thirty-six percent with divisions felt they had opportunities to explore PS, compared with 12% without divisions. Residents without divisions felt disadvantaged in finding research (94 vs. 65%, p  < 0.05), delayed in deciding on PS (50 vs. 28%), and obtaining mentors (44 vs. 35%) and letters of recommendation (31 vs. 24%). Conclusion  PS residents and applicants without HRPs reported feeling disadvantaged when matching. The data suggest that access to departments or divisions assists in matching. We identified that external outreach and research were successful strategies to obtain mentorship. To increase awareness for unaffiliated applicants, we should increase networking opportunities during local, regional, and national meetings.

Evaluating Diversity Promotion on Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program Websites and Instagram Accounts

BACKGROUND

Medical students applying to residency, including those from underrepresented groups, strongly value cultural fit and program diversity. Program websites and social media are thus an influential information source for prospective applicants and recruitment tool for residencies. We evaluated whether and how integrated plastic surgery residency program websites and social media display commitments to diversity online.

METHODS

We evaluated program websites for 8 predetermined diversity elements, (1) nondiscrimination and (2) diversity statements, (3) community resources, (4) faculty and (5) resident biographies, (6) faculty and (7) resident photographs, and (8) resident resources, and assessed Instagram accounts for diversity-related images, captions, and hashtags. Our analysis used Mann-Whitney U , chi-squared, and t tests; significance level was P < 0.05.

RESULTS

We reviewed 82 program websites with a mean of 3.4 ± 1.4 diversity elements. Resident (n = 76, 92.7%) and faculty photographs (n = 65, 79.3%) and resident biographies (n = 43, 52.4%) were the most common. Seventy programs (85.4%) had Instagram accounts, the majority of which (n = 41, 58.6%) shared content related to diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and/or sexual orientation. Programs located in smaller cities were more likely to have ≥4 website diversity elements ( P = 0.014) and mention diversity on Instagram ( P = 0.0037). Programs with women chairs/chiefs were more likely to mention diversity on Instagram ( P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

In the age of virtual recruitment, program websites and social media should provide sufficient information, described in our diversity element checklist, to help prospective applicants determine fit from a diversity perspective. Residents, who often contribute to program social media, and women chairs/chiefs may be critical to driving diversity promotion.

The Social Media Footprint of Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Programs: Where Do We Stand?

INTRODUCTION

Social media utilization is expanding within graduate medical education and academic surgery. This study aims to quantify the current social media footprint of pediatric surgery (PS) fellowship training programs.

METHODS

United States PS fellowship programs from the American Pediatric Surgical Association website and social media accounts on three platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) were identified. Authors quantified subject matter within public program content and compared PS social media utilization to other surgical training programs. A public Twitter survey was disseminated to evaluate recent PS applicant Twitter use and perceptions about content posted by programs.

RESULTS

Of 51 PS fellowship programs, 23 (45.1%) had active Twitter accounts, 2 (3.9%) had active Facebook accounts, and 1 (2.0%) had an active Instagram account. Cumulatively, 5162 organic posts were published across all 26 accounts (90.4% on Twitter). Most commonly posted content included research/conference presentations (31.3%) and faculty accolades (15.1%), while clinical/OR experience (3.6%), gender/ethnic diversity (2.4%) had the least content. Compared to other training programs, PS has lower utilization of Facebook (p < 0.001) and Instagram (p < 0.001), but similar Twitter utilization (p = 0.09). Twenty-four recent applicants responded to the public Twitter survey. Most (62.5%) used Twitter intentionally for recruitment and networking purposes when applying to fellowship. They expressed desire for increased content related to clinical/OR experiences, program ethnic/gender diversity and recruitment information.

CONCLUSION

Amongst PS training programs, Twitter is the most commonly utilized platform. Expanding Twitter usage to more programs and posting more varied content may facilitate opportunities for diverse applicant recruitment and serve as a platform to share clinical knowledge, which will ultimately move the needle towards growth and equity.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Evaluating the utility of a global webinar for mentoring medical students and OBGYN residents in REI

BACKGROUND

In medical school and residency, clinical experiences influence trainee's decisions on what medical specialty they choose. Most trainees have limited access to opportunities to engage in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown of away electives, exposure to REI was especially limited. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a live Q and A webinar on improving trainees' access to mentorship and knowledge of the path to becoming a reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) physician.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is a prospective paired cohort study. Medical students and OBGYN residents participated in a global Q and A webinar featuring REI physicians and fellows. 70 pre- and post-webinar surveys were included in the analysis. Paired nonparametric tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) were performed to assess whether post-webinar knowledge was significantly different from pre-webinar knowledge.

RESULTS

Of the 268 registrants, 162 (60%) attended the live webinar. A majority of the respondents who completed both surveys were female (90%) and allopathic medical students (80%). Seventy-seven percent reported receiving only minimal advice about an REI career from their medical school or residency program, while 22% reported receiving some advice, and 1% extensive advice. Thirty-four percent had previously shadowed an REI physician and 23% had rotated in an REI office. Post-webinar significantly more trainees had a better understanding of the REI field, the path required to become an REI physician, opportunities to find mentors in the field, opportunities that are conducive to learning more about REI, and applying for rotations in the REI field (p = <.00001). Eighty-two percent agreed that their interest in REI increased due to this webinar.

CONCLUSIONS

A webinar featuring REI physicians and fellows was effective in providing mentorship and career advisement for prospective REI trainees who otherwise expressed having limited access to the field.

Orthopedic Surgery Residencies: The Leap to Social Media

Social media has been previously shown to influence applicants' perception of plastic surgery residencies and increase their likelihood to apply, interview, and rank the program. We wanted to analyze this hypothesized trend in the context of orthopedic surgery residency while also characterizing the content of orthopedic surgery residency program accounts. A current list of US orthopedic residency programs was acquired from the American Orthopaedic Association and cross-referenced with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education webpage of all orthopedic surgery residencies. Forty-five of 185 (24%) residencies had residency-specific Instagram accounts. We analyzed the number of followers, the number of posts, and the date of the first post for each account. We characterized content by categories including science education, recruitment or hospital promotion, resident highlight, news coverage, events, and community building posts. We analyzed the "social currency" of each post and program, tracking the number of likes, comments, and followers. Twenty-seven of 45 (60%) active residency Instagram pages were created in 2020, with 13 of 45 (29%) pages created in June 2020 alone. Residency programs are increasingly turning to Instagram to showcase the residents at their programs, their lifestyles, and program strengths. Sixty percent of all orthopedic residency Instagram accounts were created in 2020 alone, likely precipitated by travel concerns from COVID-19 forcing programs to conduct online interviews and cancel away rotations this application cycle. Going forward, residency programs will continue using Instagram to recruit potential residents, leaving programs without social media accounts at a relative disadvantage in terms of visibility and their ability to recruit qualified applicants. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(5):e281-e286.].

Social Media Usage by United States Plastic Surgery Subspecialty Fellowship Programs

Social media can be a powerful tool for plastic surgery training programs. Previous studies have shown the value social media may have in integrated residency program recruitment and program reputation. These findings may generalize to fellowship programs, but this space has not been comprehensively studied to date. Therefore, this study aims to characterize plastic surgery fellowship programs' social media usage and identify subsequent opportunities for program leadership to generate engagement.

Methods

United States plastic surgery fellowship programs in four major subspecialties (hand, microsurgery, craniomaxillofacial, and aesthetic) were identified and evaluated for social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Platform-specific parameters were collected and statistically analyzed in aggregate.

Results

There were a total of 25 Instagram accounts, four Facebook accounts, and three Twitter accounts across all investigated subspecialties. Hand surgery had the greatest social media presence on Instagram (19.5%) and Twitter (3.4%). Microsurgery had the greatest presence on Facebook (4.7%). Between 2015 and 2022, Instagram was the platform with the greatest increase in adoption by fellowship programs. Geographically, microsurgery and craniomaxillofacial accounts were primarily owned by Midwest programs (66.7%, 100%), and aesthetic primarily by programs in the South (83.3%). Number of Instagram posts and followers were not significantly correlated with hospital reputation (P = 0.12, P = 0.63).

Conclusions

Social media is underutilized by plastic surgery fellowship programs. While Instagram metrics such as posts and followers are not correlated with hospital reputation, the skewed distributions of fellowship accounts, both geographically and across platforms, represent areas of potential growth.

What could we make of AI in plastic surgery education

To explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-picture system, DALL·E 2 was used to generated clinical photographs for medical and plastic surgery education. Generic English text was used to guide AI in three categories: subcutaneous tumor, wound and skin tumor. The most clinically accurate images were chosen for the article or for further editing. AI-generated images with variating clinical accuracy in different categories. The most accurate images were the soft-tissue tumors and the least accurate wounds. This study showed that AI text-to-picture system might be worthy tool for medical education.

The Rise of Facial Palsy on Social Media Over the Last 5 Years

BACKGROUND

Social media (SoMe) has become a powerful platform for distributing health information. Facial palsy (FP) results in functional and social impairment and lowers quality of life. Social media may help to raise awareness of FP sequalae. This study aims to determine the FP information growth on SoMe platforms and parameters that influence user engagement on FP content.

METHODS

Five commonly used SoMe platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit) were analyzed. Data on 18 FP hashtags and their social interaction parameters (posts, likes, reaches, comments, shares, language, and country of origin) over the past 5 years (July 31, 2016, to July 31, 2021) were collected. In-depth account analysis was performed on the 5 most popular Instagram profiles associated with FP.

RESULTS

The annual growth curve was positive on each platform. Facial Palsy Awareness Week 2021 trended best on TikTok. Facebook accumulated 315,411 likes and 1,922,678 reaches on 8356 posts. On Instagram, 24,968 posts gathered 4,904,124 likes and 9,215,852 reaches. TikTok users interacted on 3565 posts, accumulating 4,304,155 likes and 4,200,368 reaches. The implementation of reels ( P <0.001) and the profile host interacting with their followers by liking ( P <0.001) and replying ( P <0.001) to users' comments significantly increased the engagement rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Facial palsy is of increasing interest on SoMe. Facial palsy surgeons may post reels, interact with their community, and engage into FPAW to promote user engagement.

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.

Instagram Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges to residency recruitment. With in-person away rotations prohibited and interviews held virtually, orthopaedic residency programs turned to social media. Studies document the exponential growth of residency program Instagram accounts after March 2020, but few analyze the content of their posts. This study provides an updated assessment of such Instagram accounts including a detailed analysis of their content and a discussion of potentially concerning posts.

METHODS

Orthopaedic surgery residency programs participating in the National Resident Matching Program and any Instagram accounts associated with these programs were identified. Instagram accounts were analyzed, and the 25 most recent posts and all highlighted stories for each account were coded for content based on a predetermined list of categories. Specific attention was given to content that may raise legal, ethical, or professionalism concerns. The primary outcome was the most common content code among posts. The secondary outcomes were the number of posts identified as potentially concerning and the types of concerns represented.

RESULTS

Overall, 138 of 193 residency programs (72%) had an Instagram account at the time of cross-sectional analysis, 65% of which were created between April and December 2020. All accounts were public. Profiles had on average 1,156 ± 750 followers and 59 ± 75 posts. Of the 3,348 posts analyzed, the most common coded themes were resident introductions (33%), camaraderie (27%), and social life and hobbies (26%). There were 81 concerning posts from 52 separate accounts. Seventy-five of the concerning posts (93%) depicted residents scrubbed alone.

CONCLUSION

Orthopaedic residency Instagram accounts are potential tools for residency recruitment and can depict a program's culture through posts over time. However, public accounts are open to scrutiny by other viewers, including patients and their families. Care must be taken to consider multiple perspectives of post content, so as to bolster, not damage, the residency program's reputation.

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.

Mining the Twittersphere: Insights about Public Interest in Facial Reanimation Surgery from a Decade of Twitter Data

Background  With 500 million tweets posted daily, Twitter can provide valuable insights about public discourse surrounding niche topics, such as facial paralysis surgery. This study aims to describe public interest on Twitter relating to facial paralysis and facial reanimation surgery over the last decade.

Methods  Tweets containing the keywords “facial paralysis” and “Bell's palsy” posted between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2019, were collected using Twitter Scraper. Tweets were screened by keywords relating to facial paralysis, and usage of these terms trended over time. Logistic regression was used to identify correlations between the quantity of publications per year and these terms posted on Twitter.

Results  32,880 tweets were made during the study period, with no significant difference in the number of tweets per year. A very strong ( r  = 0.8–1.0) positive correlation was found between time and frequency of the term “plastic surgery” and “transfer” ( p  < 0.05). A strong ( r  = 0.60–0.79) correlation was found between time and frequency for the following terms: “facial reanimation,” “gracilis,” “masseter,” “plastics,” “transplant” ( p  < 0.05). A total of 619 studies with the keyword “facial reanimation” were published in PubMed within the study period. A very strong, positive correlation between publications per year and frequency was found for the terms “plastic surgery,” “function” and “esthetic,” and a strong, positive correlation was found for the “plastics,” “transplant,” “Botox,” “surgery,” “cosmetic,” “aesthetic” and “injection” ( p  < 0.05).

Conclusions  An increasing number of discussion about facial paralysis on Twitter correlates with increased publications and likely surgeon discourse on facial reanimation surgery, driving public interest.

Social Media Use Continues to Increase Among Orthopaedic Residency Programs in the United States

Purpose

To evaluate the social media usage of orthopaedic residency programs, program directors (PDs), and department chairs across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and to determine which types of social media posts are indicative of increased user following.

Methods

A systematic online search strategy was performed in October 2020 to identify all allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency program accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Instagram posts were further analyzed to evaluate the type of post that significantly correlated with increased follower counts.

Results

Of 158 orthopaedic surgery programs, 69 (43.7%) had Instagram accounts, 52 (32.9%) had Facebook accounts, and 54 (34.2%) had Twitter accounts. Program presence on Instagram and Twitter continued to grow exponentially (R² = 0.99 and R² = 0.95, respectively). Regarding program leadership, a total of 151 PDs and 156 chairs were identified. Of these, 21 PDs (14%) and 8 chairs (5.1%) had Instagram accounts. The number of posts and the numbers of educational, social, program information, and operative posts (P < .01) significantly correlated with increased followers on Instagram.

Conclusions

Fewer than one-half of orthopaedic surgery residency programs and fewer than one-quarter of PDs and department chairs have a social media presence. However, the number of residency programs on social media continues to rise year-over-year. The total number of posts; the amount of educational, social, and program information; and the number of operative posts significantly correlated with increased followers on Instagram.

Clinical Relevance

With the growing prevalence of social media, orthopaedic surgery residency programs have the opportunity to connect with future applicants and disseminate informational content regarding their programs.

US Public's Perceptions of Online Transformation Photos

BACKGROUND

Although many plastic surgeons seek to optimize their online presence and reach a broader patient base, no studies to our knowledge have evaluated the general public's perceptions of one of the most valued informational tools: transformation photos.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the general public's preferences for viewing transformation photos online.

METHODS

Respondents representative of the US public, crowdsourced through Amazon Mechanical Turk, answered a survey assessing perceptions of the posting of before-and-after photos.

RESULTS

One thousand respondents completed the questionnaire. Ninety percent (905/1000) of respondents are willing to view online before-and-after photos. Sixty-three percent (634/1000) would consent to online posting of before-and-after photos of at least 1 body area, with comfort levels highest for facelift (36.4%), nonoperative facial rejuvenation (31.9%), liposuction (24.9%), and abdominoplasty (23.2%). Breast reduction (12.4%), breast reconstruction (10.9%), gluteal augmentation (14.0%), and vaginal rejuvenation (4.4%) are considered least acceptable for public posting. Respondents are significantly more opposed to online viewing of genitals than any other body area (P < 0.0001). Of those willing to have their own transformation photos posted online, 74.0% would allow posting on professional practice websites, 35.1% on Instagram, 26.6% on Facebook, 17.2% on Twitter, and 10.7% on Snapchat. Significantly more respondents prefer their transformation photos reside only on professional practice websites rather than on a social media platform (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The public considers aesthetic facial procedures and body contouring most acceptable for showcasing transformation photos online. Although most respondents prefer viewing these photos on professional practice websites, Instagram is the favored social media platform. The majority of the public seek transformation photos when choosing a plastic surgeon for a cosmetic procedure.

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.

The Evolving Role of Instagram in General Surgery Residency Programs and Keys to Successful Use in Yours: Input from an Academic, Tertiary Referral Program

INTRODUCTION

Social media has been used as a resource for the dissemination of information in the medical profession. To date, information regarding Instagram use amongst general surgery residency programs is lacking. Our study seeks to detail the use of Instagram amongst general surgery residency programs and to provide suggestions for the practical and successful use of Instagram by general surgery residency programs.

METHORDS

We performed a cross-sectional search of general surgery residency program Instagram accounts through June 30, 2020. Descriptive details, the pattern of Instagram use by general surgery residency programs, and the use of Instagram by general surgery residency programs over time were investigated.

RESULTS

Ninety-six (29.1%) of the 330 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) general surgery residency programs were identified on Instagram, of which 86 (89.6%) accounts had at least one post. Academic programs (N = 67; 77.9%) were the most common type of program to have an Instagram account (N = 67). The most popular category of posts was promotion of the residents and faculty. In terms of Instagram activity, nearly 20% of Instagram posts were made in the last three-month block of our study period. Using Pearson correlations, positive associations were found between the number of posts and number of followers (0.62, p < 0.0001), the number of posts and the number of likes (0.42, p < 0.0001) and the number of followers and the number of likes (0.78, p < 0.0001). None of these variables were significantly associated with region or program type.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first description of the use of Instagram by general surgery residency programs. Based on the pattern of use of Instagram by general surgery residency programs, we believe that there are five key elements to the successful use of Instagram by general surgery residency programs, including: Interact, Name, Promote, Utilize, and Team (INPUT).

Home Field Advantage: Assessing the Geographic Trends of the Plastic Surgery Residency Match during the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

In previous plastic surgery residency match cycles, in-person activities at other institutions, such as away rotations, have facilitated matches outside of an applicant's home program or region. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, limited these in-person opportunities. Therefore, we hypothesized that applicants of the 2021 cycle would be more likely to match into programs with which they have existing geographic connections when compared to previous years.

DESIGN

Residency websites and social media accounts were searched for resident names and educational information for those matching in 2021 and 2015 to 2020. Outcomes included proportion of applicants matching at the program affiliated with their medical school ("home program"), or matching in the same state or United States Census Map region as their medical school or undergraduate institution. Subgroup analyses were stratified by program region, incoming resident class size, and Doximity residency reputation ranking.

SETTING

Columbia University (New York).

PARTICIPANTS

For the 2015 to 2020 residency cycles, 963 residents were identified from 78 (95.1%) programs. For 2021, 159 incoming interns were identified from 70 (82.3%) programs.

RESULTS

2021 applicants matched into their home program at higher rates than 2015-2020 applicants (36.0% vs. 24.1%, p  = 0.019). This trend was similar regardless of program region or size. This increase was significant for programs ranked outside of the top 30 (41.5% vs. 26.4%, p = 0.032), but not for the top 30 programs (32.1% vs. 22.3%, p = 0.128). Excluding those who matched at their home program, 2015 to 2020 and 2021 applicants matched in the same state or region of their medical school or undergraduate institution at similar rates (p > 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic surgery residency programs matched more applicants from affiliated medical schools than in previous years. This may result from lack of in-person opportunities for applicants at other programs. Alternative relationship-building opportunities may facilitate broader geographic connections in the 2022 cycle.

Evaluation of Social Media Utilization by Academic Plastic Surgery Programs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background:

In response to the cancellation of away rotations and the shift to virtual interviews due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, residency programs have pursued other methods of sharing program details, most notably with the use of social media. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of social media utilization in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic by plastic surgery residency programs.

Methods:

Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts of plastic surgery programs, program directors, and chiefs were identified. Number of followers, total posts, and posts since March 1, 2020, were extracted. Account content was categorized as informational, social, operative, research, self-promotional, guest lecture, education, or other. Spearman’s coefficient was used to determine correlations among account data. Differences among regions and program pathways were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results:

Since March 1, 2020, 17 Instagram, five Twitter, and three Facebook accounts have been created. Instagram was most widely used and followed (1720 posts, 1235.7 ± 735.9 followers) compared with Twitter (722 tweets, 325.6 ± 451.0 followers) and Facebook (430 posts, 338.3 ± 363.3 followers). Although the majority of content was informational (45.1 percent), Instagram contained more social content (21 percent), Twitter contained more research (21 percent), and Facebook contained more self-promotional content (25 percent). Integrated-only programs on average posted more on Instagram (21.5 ± 15.1 posts) than did independent-only programs (9.4 ± 8.5 posts), and post volume moderately correlated with number of followers. There were no statistically significant differences among regional means.

Conclusion:

Plastic surgery residency programs have incorporated social media into their recruitment strategies and will likely continue to increase and diversify their posts to effectively engage with future applicants.

Global Pandemic and Plastic Surgery Residency Match: Can Social Media Fill the Void?

Background

The type of content that influences plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) residency program selection and attracts applicants is everchanging and not clearly understood. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on residency selection that is undetermined.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree and the type of PRS SM content that drives prospective applicants’ interest of a residency program, especially in the context of COVID-19.

Methods

Prospective PRS residency applicants were surveyed anonymously.

Results

An average of 60% of respondents reported that PRS social media (SM) content influenced their perception of a program. Fifty-eight percent reported that resident lifestyle content made them gain interest in a program. Separately, 32% reported that resident lifestyle content influenced them to rank a program higher. Seventy-two percent of respondents claimed SM content did not make them lose interest in a program. Rarely posting, outdated content, and lack of engagement were cited as factors for loss of interest in a program. A majority of respondents (53%) reported wanting to see more resident life and culture content on SM. Of the existing PRS SM content, respondents were most interested in resident lifestyle, followed by clinical and program-specific content.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the importance of SM PRS residency selection. Resident lifestyle content was consistently indicated as more likely to make respondents gain interest in a program, rank a program higher, and as the most desired content. PRS programs will benefit from highlighting resident camaraderie, quality of life, hobbies, and lifestyle to attract applicants.

Patient Representation and Diversity in Plastic Surgery Social Media

BACKGROUND

Plastic surgeons increasingly use social media as a means for patient engagement, trainee education, and research dissemination. Appropriate patient diversity on these platforms is critical to promote interaction with all patients and ensure adequate training of plastic surgeons to work with diverse populations.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess patient representation, particularly of racial and ethnic groups, among plastic surgery Instagram accounts.

METHODS

Nine Instagram accounts of plastic surgery journals and professional organizations were analyzed for posts containing patient images between April 2015 and June 2020. Each unique patient image was assessed for demographic factors. Skin tone was analyzed as a proxy for racial diversity, with Fitzpatrick scale scores of 1 to 3 indicating white and 4 to 6 indicating nonwhite. Univariate analysis was performed to determine differences in representation.

RESULTS

A total of 6719 posts from 5 journal and 4 professional organization accounts were found to contain 2547 unique patient images. Overall, 88.14% of patient images had white skin tone, whereas only 11.86% displayed nonwhite skin tone. Cosmetic procedure patient images had a higher frequency of white skin tone than reconstruction images (89.93% vs 81.98%, P < 0.001). When compared with US Census data and the ASPS Annual Report data on race of patients undergoing plastic surgery, our data revealed significant underrepresentation of patients of color on social media (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the underrepresentation of patients of color within social media imagery. Equitable representation of patients on social media is important to decrease patient barriers to healthcare and improve physician training to engage with diverse populations.

Utility of Social Media for Recruitment by Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

BACKGROUND

As the use of social media continues to rise, the presence of social media accounts among orthopaedic surgery residency programs can foster connections with other specialties, highlight departmental achievements, and be a resource for applicants to learn more about the program. This study evaluated the current utility and landscape of social media, with an emphasis on the use of Instagram, in orthopaedic surgery residency programs in the United States.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of orthopaedic surgery residency Instagram accounts was performed. The Instagram accounts were evaluated for the number of followers, number of accounts following, and number of posts. Instagram posts were further categorized into academic, departmental, education, and COVID-19-related content. In addition, a search was performed to identify the presence of Twitter and Facebook accounts among orthopaedic surgery residency programs. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the data in this study.

RESULTS

Of the 192 orthopaedic surgery residency programs evaluated, 108 programs (56%) had an Instagram account, 65 programs (34%) had a Twitter account, and 58 programs (30%) had a Facebook account. Of the 108 programs with an Instagram account, 92 accounts (85%) were created in 2020. A higher Doximity ranking of a program was positively associated with the presence of an Instagram account (p < 0.001). A significant correlation was found between the number of posts and the Instagram engagement score (p = 0.018). The majority of Instagram posts contained departmental content (54%) followed by social (13%) and COVID-19-related (10%) content.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of orthopaedic surgery residency programs on social media has grown significantly in the year 2020. With the presence of more than 50% of residency programs on Instagram, this can be a useful resource for prospective applicants and other healthcare professionals to gain insight into the activities of orthopaedic surgery residency programs across the United States.

The "RealSelf Effect": Can Patient Reviews on Social Media Impact Clinic Volume?

BACKGROUND

Whether patient driven or surgeon driven, social media can serve as a strong marketing tool to attract plastic surgery patients. At many training programs, chief residents have the opportunity to run an independent clinic, in which patients are evaluated for aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. In this study, the authors sought to investigate the downstream effect of a single positive review on a major social review site on cosmetic surgery volume.

METHODS

A retrospective pre-post intervention study was performed. Operating room case logs at an urban training program were queried for purely aesthetic cases performed through the chief resident clinic in 2012 to 2018. Procedures performed by nonplastic surgery services were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 1734 cases met the inclusion criteria. Before the online review, aesthetic cases grew from 61 to 82 (10% compounded annual growth rate). However, after the review was posted, 107 aesthetic cases were performed in the 2016-2017 academic year, driving a 30% growth rate. A large portion of this increase in growth can be attributed to the growth in number of rhytidectomies performed.

DISCUSSION

This study evaluated the impact of social media on the volume of aesthetic cases performed through an established chief resident clinic and its utility in patient recruitment. Chief residents had an increase in the number of aesthetic surgery cases they performed after their clinic was featured on an online social media physician review website. This further reinforces the impact social media and an online presence have on plastic surgery training.

Social Media and Medical Education in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought virtual web-based learning to the forefront of medical education as training programs adapt to physical distancing challenges while maintaining the rigorous standards of medical training. Social media has unique and partially untapped potential to supplement formal medical education.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the incentives, applications, challenges, and pitfalls of social media-based medical education for both trainees and educators.

METHODS

We performed a literature review via PubMed of medical research involving social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and podcasts. Papers were reviewed for inclusion based on the integrity and power of the study.

RESULTS

The unique characteristics of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and podcasts endow them with unique communication capabilities that serve different educational purposes in both formal and informal education settings. However, contemporary medical education curricula lack widespread guidance on meaningful use, application, and deployment of social media in medical education.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians and institutions must evolve to embrace the use of social media platforms for medical education. Health care professionals can approach social media engagement in the same ethical manner that they would with patients in person; however, health care institutions ultimately must enable their health care professionals to achieve this by enacting realistic social media policies. Institutions should appoint clinicians with strong social media experience to leadership roles to spearhead these generational and cultural changes. Further studies are needed to better understand how health care professionals can most effectively use social media platforms as educational tools. Ultimately, social media is here to stay, influencing lay public knowledge and trainee knowledge. Clinicians and institutions must embrace this complementary modality of trainee education and champion social media as a novel distribution platform that can also help propagate truth in a time of misinformation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instacash: The Ethics of Leveraging Medical Student Status on Social Media

Some medical students leverage their medical student status for profit as social media influencers on platforms such as Instagram. Depending on the size of their following and the brand they are promoting, students can make thousands of dollars per year by advertising products ranging from scrubs to protein powder to mattresses. Yet, they receive few tools as part of their education to help them understand how to reconcile their professional obligations with a desire to generate an income. After examining the potential benefits and harms of social media use, this article considers the possibility of medical student financial gain from being an influencer in light of seasoned physicians' own efforts to profit from industry alliances. Through both historical and contemporary lenses, the authors consider the tension between doctors as healers and moneymakers, before concluding with practical and philosophical approaches for guiding medical student influencers.

The Impact of Social Media on Plastic Surgery Residency Applicants

BACKGROUND

Plastic surgeons have been early adopters of social media, and the efficacy and ethics of this practice have been studied. In addition, plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) training programs have begun using social media to connect with the public, including prospective PRS applicants. The ability of social media to attract prospective residency applicants is unknown. This study aims to examine the influence of social media on prospective residency applicants and their perception of a plastic surgery program.

METHODS

In the academic years 2018 and 2019, we conducted an anonymous, voluntary survey among applicants applying to both the integrated and independent Harvard PRS residency programs. The survey collected data regarding demographics, social media usage, online information gathering, and PRS programs' social media influence on applicants' perception/rank position of programs.

RESULTS

One hundred nine surveys were completed (23%). Ninety-seven percent of respondents reported searching online for information about residency programs. Twenty percent of respondents noted that a residency program's social media platform "influenced their perception of a program or intended rank position of a program" and 72% of those respondents indicated a positive effect on their perception of a program and its rank list position. At least 15% of respondents were concerned that engaging with a program's social media account would attract attention to their own social media accounts.

CONCLUSIONS

Applicants routinely rely on online resources to gather information regarding prospective residency programs. Fear of attracting attention to their own personal social media pages may limit applicants' engagement with PRS programs on social media. However, residency programs can still utilize social media to deliver important messages, especially as social media usage continues to grow.

The Linton A. Whitaker Legacy: Cultivating Craniofacial Surgeon Leaders

BACKGROUND

Linton A. Whitaker is a pioneer of craniofacial surgery. He served as chief of plastic surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania and director of the craniofacial training program. Herein, the authors reflect on his legacy by studying the accomplishments of his trainees.

METHODS

Dr Whitaker's trainees who completed (a) craniofacial fellowship training while he was director of the program or (b) residency training while he was chief were identified. Curricula vitae were reviewed. Variables analyzed included geographic locations, practice types, academic leadership positions, scholarly work, and bibliometric data.

RESULTS

Between 1980 and 2011, 34 surgeons completed craniofacial fellowship training under Dr Whitaker, and 11 completed plastic surgery training under his chairmanship and subsequent craniofacial fellowship. The majority had active craniofacial practices after training (83.3%) and practice in an academic setting (78.0%). Most settled in the northeast (31.1%) and south (31.1%) but across 24 states nationally. Overall, the mean ± SD number of publications was 76 ± 81 (range, 2-339); book chapters, 23 ± 29 (0-135); H-index, 18 ± 12 (1-45); and grants, 13 ± 16 (0-66). Of those who pursued academia, 53.1% were promoted to full professor, 46.9% had a program director role, 75.0% directed a craniofacial program, and 53.1% achieved the rank of chief/chair.

CONCLUSIONS

Equally important to Dr Whitaker's clinical contributions in plastic and craniofacial surgery is the development and success of his trainees who will undoubtedly continue the legacy of training the next generation of craniofacial surgeon leaders.

Insta-Grated Plastic Surgery Residencies: 2020 Update

BACKGROUND

Recent evidence shows accelerating worldwide adoption of social media and suggests a commensurate increase in social media use by integrated plastic surgery residency programs in the United States. Programs nationwide are now making strides to include a longitudinal social media component in their plastic surgery curriculum.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of Instagram by plastic surgery residency programs and to describe trends in adoption, volume, and content.

METHODS

Current active Instagram accounts affiliated to integrated plastic surgery residency programs were surveyed to identify date of first post, number of posts, number of followers, number of followings, engagement rate, most-liked posts, and content of posts. All data were collected on May 12, 2020.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine out of 81 (85.2%) integrated plastic surgery residency programs had Instagram accounts, totaling 5,544 posts. This represents an absolute increase in program accounts of 392% since 2018. The 100 most-liked posts were categorized as: promotion of the program/individual (46), resident life (32), promotion of plastic surgery (14), and education (8).

CONCLUSIONS

Instagram use by plastic surgery residency programs has drastically increased since it was first evaluated in 2018. This trend will continue as we reach near saturation of residency programs with accounts. We remain steadfast in our belief that the advantages of social media use by plastic surgeons and trainees are far outweighed by the potential community-wide impacts of violations of good social media practice on peers, patients, and the general public.

Social media impact in the Match: A survey of current trends in the United States

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.

Web-Based Versus Non-Web-Based Patient Referral Patterns and Factors Affecting Them

PURPOSE

To analyze the 8-year (2012-2019) change in the patient referral source trends to a plastic surgery practice and the factors affecting them.

METHODS

Data on demographics, referral source, and patient's concern were recorded. The web-based referral sources were website and Instagram and non-web-based included other patients (word-of-mouth), medical professionals (physician, nurse, and optometrist), and others (printed media, TV, and radio). Patients' concerns were divided into cosmetic and noncosmetic. The first (2012-2015) and second (2016-2019) half of the study period were also compared.

RESULTS

Included patients were 19,965. The 8-year referral sources, in order of frequency, were medical professionals (34%), other patients (32.7%), web-based sources (32.5%), and the others (0.7%). The web-based sources significantly increased by 2.4 times in the second half. While they had a third rank after the medical professionals and other patients in the first half of the study period, they became the first in the second half. The non-web-based source showed a decline during the study period. Type of referral sources was not significantly different between the 2 genders. A significantly higher percentage of the patients between 21 and 50 years of age were referred through web-based sources than the other age groups. Patients with cosmetic concerns were 2 times more likely to be referred through web-based sources.

CONCLUSION

The web-based referral sources have significantly grown from the third rank in the beginning to the first one from 2015 till the end of study.

Webinar during COVID-19 Improves Knowledge of Changes to the Plastic Surgery Residency Application Process

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted residency application process for all specialties, including plastic surgery residency. Almost all plastic surgery residency programs have suspended visiting sub-internship rotations. This study quantifies the impact of a webinar through an analysis of poll questions and a post-webinar survey sent to all registered participants.

METHODS

A dedicated webinar was organized and held by the Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Training Program. All attendees were asked several poll questions during the webinar. The 192 participants were also sent a post-webinar survey.

RESULTS

The response rate was 68.2% (n = 131). Respondents were more confident about matching into a plastic surgery residency program at the end of the webinar compared with before the webinar (P < 0.001). Respondents who did not have a plastic surgery residency program at their home institution were less confident at the start of the webinar (P = 0.009). In addition, respondents who had not taken time off for research or for other endeavors during or after medical school were less confident about their chances to match at the start of the webinar (P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

An online webinar program increased confidence levels of medical students interested in applying for residency positions in plastic surgery. Residency programs should consider webinars as a method to inform and assist medical students during the upcoming application season.

Microsurgery Fellowship Website and Social Media Presence: Are Programs Optimizing Recruitment Strategy?

BACKGROUND

 Microsurgery fellowship applicants make decisions for future training based on information obtained from colleagues, mentors, and microsurgery fellowship program Websites (MFWs). In this study, we sought to evaluate the accessibility and quality of available information by microsurgery programs by analyzing the most commonly used web resources and social media outlets for applicants.

METHODS

 The San Francisco (SF) Match and American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery Websites were queried in April 2020 for microsurgery fellowship programs (MFPs) participating in the SF Match. Twenty-two independent variables of information were assessed on MFWs based on previously published data. Social media presence was also assessed by querying Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for official hospital, plastic surgery residency, and microsurgery fellowship accounts.

RESULTS

 All 24 MFWs participating in the SF Match had a webpage. Program description, faculty listing, operative volume, and eligibility requirements were listed for all programs (100%). The majority of MFWs listed affiliated hospitals (75%), provided a link to the fellowship application (66.7%), listed interview dates (66.7%), and highlighted research interests (50%). A minority of MFWs provided information on conference schedule (37.5%), current fellow listing (25%), previous fellow listing (16.67%), and positions held by previous fellows (8.33%). No MFWs (0%) presented information on selection process, or rotation schedule.All hospitals with an MFP had a Facebook page and nearly all had Instagram (83.3%) and Twitter accounts (95.8%). Plastic surgery residency programs at the same institution of an MFP had social media presence on Facebook (38.9%), Twitter (38.9%), and Instagram (66.7%). Only three MFPs had Facebook accounts (12.5%) and none had Instagram or Twitter accounts.

CONCLUSION

 As the field of microsurgery continues to grow, the need for effective recruitment and training of microsurgeons continues to be essential. Overall, we conclude that both the accessibility and quality of information available to applicants are limited, which is a missed opportunity for recruitment.

Current Status of Instagram Utilization by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Programs: A Comparison With Related Dental and Surgical Specialties

PURPOSE

The utility of social media in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residency programs has never been investigated, despite the increasing popularity of such platforms in academic medicine. As a specialty that strives for constant innovation, it is important for OMS programs to participate in the emerging concept of incorporating social media into medical and surgical education. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of Instagram in OMS residency programs in the United States.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of Instagram search data was performed. The Instagram accounts of OMS residency programs were searched, and their metrics were retrieved from June 1 to June 5, 2020. Factors correlated with the total number of followers were identified. The use of Instagram in OMS residency programs was compared with that in other related dental and surgical residency programs.

RESULTS

Only 17 (18.7%) of 91 OMS residency programs had an Instagram account. The number of programs with Instagram accounts exhibited linear growth (R² = 0.98) since December 2018. The median number of followers was 326 (range, 94 to 2,152), and the median number of posts was 9 (range, 2 to 40). The number of Instagram followers was positively correlated with the number of accounts followed, the number of total posts, and the number of educational posts, and it was negatively correlated with the Instagram engagement rate. Instagram presence did not differ among residency programs for orthodontics (18.2%), periodontics (5.5%), and OMS (P = .067). However, Instagram presence in OMS residency programs was significantly lower than that in plastic surgery (74.7%; P < .001) and otolaryngology residency programs (35.0%; P = .011).

CONCLUSIONS

Instagram use in OMS residency programs is growing but is significantly lower than that in related surgical fields. This may represent a missed opportunity for promoting collaboration and efficiently delivering useful information to trainees.