An Update on Social Media in Academic Plastic Surgery Training Programs

Abstract

Background Increasing in popularity, social media provides powerful marketing and networking tools for private practice plastic surgeons. The authors sought to examine social media utilization by academic plastic surgery training programs. Methods Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were queried for plastic surgery training program, program director, and chief/chair accounts. Training program posts were categorized as educational, operative, social, informational, self-promotional, visiting lecturer, research-related, and other. Factors influencing total number of followers were analyzed including number of accounts followed, frequency, total number, and types of posts as well as duration of account. Other variables included geographic location, 2018 to 2019 Doximity residency ranking, and US News and World Report rankings of affiliated hospital systems and medical schools. Social media accounts were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon rank sum, and regression analysis. Results Facebook is the most popular social media platform among chiefs/chairs (34, 35.7%), followed by Instagram (20, 21.1%) and Twitter (19, 20.0%). Facebook is used more by program directors (31, 32.6%) followed by Instagram (22, 23.1%) and Twitter (15, 15.7%). The majority of Facebook and Twitter leadership accounts are for personal use (62%–67%), whereas Twitter is used primarily for professional purposes (60%–84%). Training program social media use is rising, with Instagram and Twitter presence growing at exponential rates (R 2 = 0.97 and 0.97, respectively). Of 95 training programs evaluated, 54 (56.8%) have Instagram accounts, 29 (30.5%) have Facebook accounts, and 27 (28.4%) have Twitter accounts. Most training programs using social media have 2 or more accounts (37, 67.3%). West coast programs have more Instagram followers than other geographic regions, significantly more than Southern programs (P = 0.05). Program accounts with more followers are affiliated with top-ranked hospitals (P = 0.0042) or top-ranked Doximity training programs (P = 0.02). Conclusions Similar to its adoption by private practice plastic surgery, social media use in academic plastic surgery is growing exponentially. Now, over half of residency programs have Instagram accounts. Program leaders are using Facebook and Instagram primarily for personal use and Twitter for professional use. Programs affiliated with a top-ranked hospital or ranked highly by Doximity have more followers on social media.

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

“…The number of new Instagram accounts for plastic surgery residency programs grew rapidly from 23% in September 2017 to 56.8% in June 2019, and to 76.5% in this study conducted in June 2020. 9,19 Although Instagram usage by otolaryngology residency programs was less than that of plastic surgery programs, its use in the former field also showed marked growth, from a mere 1% in April 2017 to 35.3% observed during this study. 20 Over the years, social media platforms have demonstrated their utility for educating trainees and patients, recruiting applicants, fostering scholarly networking and collaborations, promoting faculty, and highlighting expertise and research in the field of medicine.…”

“…8 This social media success experienced by private practitioners in their respective fields is now being eagerly emulated by academic training programs and trainees, as evidenced by an influx of social media accounts of residency programs on platforms such as Instagram. 9 Academic departments in medicine are now increasingly using social media platforms for self-promotion, to facilitate scholarly collaborations and for talent recruitment. 9 Although the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) could also benefit greatly from the strategic utilization of social media to promote advancements in the field and attract competitive applicants to the specialty, OMS training programs have traditionally shied away from using online platforms to their full extent.…”

“…9 Academic departments in medicine are now increasingly using social media platforms for self-promotion, to facilitate scholarly collaborations and for talent recruitment. 9 Although the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) could also benefit greatly from the strategic utilization of social media to promote advancements in the field and attract competitive applicants to the specialty, OMS training programs have traditionally shied away from using online platforms to their full extent. 10 Furthermore, the usage of social media in academic OMS has never been investigated.…”

“… 8 This social media success experienced by private practitioners in their respective fields is now being eagerly emulated by academic training programs and trainees, as evidenced by an influx of social media accounts of residency programs on platforms such as Instagram. 9 Academic departments in medicine are now increasingly using social media platforms for self-promotion, to facilitate scholarly collaborations and for talent recruitment. 9 …”

“… 9 Academic departments in medicine are now increasingly using social media platforms for self-promotion, to facilitate scholarly collaborations and for talent recruitment. 9 …”