Increasing Social Media Presence for Graduate Medical Education Programs

Walk, Casey T; Gerardo, Rodrigo G.; Parikh, Priti

doi:10.1177/00031348211031848

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In particular, they have found success with a video-based series presenting residents, faculty, and the program in a candid fashion. 16 Although our study has shown pictures to have more Twitter engagement (by likes and retweets) than videos, individual programs may find more success with one modality over another. Programs may not have the creative vision or expertise to create effective video-based content.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

General Surgery Twitter during COVID-19: Tweets, Trends, and Implications for Recruitment Strategies

Cox

Wehrle

Mejias

et al. 2021

The American Surgeon™

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional resident recruitment practices, requiring virtual interviews and new forms of outreach. Social media, such as Twitter, is one tool programs can use to connect with applicants. This study sought to assess changes in Twitter use during the COVID-19 pandemic among general surgery programs. Methods Twitter and residency program websites were queried for public Twitter accounts related to general surgery residency programs. Publicly available tweets for available accounts were reviewed for all posts for the period March 15, 2019-November 25, 2020. Thematic analysis of each tweet was performed, and engagement was determined by likes and retweets on each tweet. Results The number of programs with active Twitter accounts increased after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, as did the number of tweets, likes-, and retweets-per-tweet. There was a significant increase in the number of tweets regarding resident promotion, program promotion, and virtual event promotion. Tweets received more likes-per-tweet if the subject was program promotion and resident promotion than tweets regarding virtual events. All results were statistically significant ( P < .05). Discussion Twitter use and engagement with residency programs have increased significantly since pandemic onset. Engagement is highest for tweets regarding program and resident promotion as measured by likes-per-tweet and highest for program promotion and virtual events as measured by retweets-per-tweet. Given the nearly nationwide increase in Twitter engagement after pandemic onset, programs should consider the impact of Twitter as a means of communication with applicants and program branding.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

General Surgery Twitter during COVID-19: Tweets, Trends, and Implications for Recruitment Strategies

Cox

Wehrle

Mejias

et al. 2021

The American Surgeon™

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Considering these findings and results from other studies, we propose four recommendations (Figure 1). 2,27,28,30,31,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Our study has several limitations. Given that survey participation was voluntary, there was potential for response bias towards applicants with particularly strong feelings about their Match experience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Match Made in Cyberspace: Applicant Perspectives on a Virtual Residency Application Process

Chen

Schroeder

Park

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an entirely virtual 2020-2021 residency application cycle. As many specialties plan to continue virtual interviews, it is essential to evaluate what aspects worked well and what can be improved. Methods: From April to June 2021, authors surveyed participants of the 2020-2021 Match about their experiences with the virtual application cycle. Survey items asked about benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviews, the utility of social media, and thoughts regarding preference signaling mechanisms and application/interview limits. Results: Participants (n=158) represented 24 states and applied to 31 specialties. The majority (73.1%) were satisfied with their experience during the 2020-2021 Match. Applicants found Twitter (78.4%) and Instagram (69.1%) to be the most helpful social media platforms. Almost all applicants (98.1%) believed that the virtual setting increased financial access to interviews. The majority (68.6%) indicated that residency programs should continue to provide virtual interviews. However, most applicants (73.9%) felt that the virtual setting allowed more students to hoard interviews. Many (66.1%) also felt their medical school did not provide adequate electronic equipment for conducting virtual interviews. While many applicants (56.9%) did not support a cap on the number of applications one can submit, most supported a limit on the number of interviews one can attend (62.7%) as well as a mechanism to signal genuine interest in a program (59.7%). Conclusions: Our study highlights that, across geography and specialty, many applicants would like virtual interviews to continue and offers insight into how medical schools and residency programs can best support applicants in the virtual environment. The virtual setting also provides an opportunity to evaluate mechanisms to address the congestion from the increasingly high number of applications residency programs receive, with most applicants supporting interview caps and preference signaling.

show abstract

“…Studies of the virtual interview process found that programs perceived they could present themselves and their program and assess applicant candidacy virtually [ 20 , 28 ]. During the pandemic, many institutions increased their social media presence to enrich the presentation of their program [ 29 , 30 ]. Despite early unfamiliarity with digital platforms, they are increasingly recognized as effective and efficient means of communication and assessment for recruitment [ 29 , 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the pandemic, many institutions increased their social media presence to enrich the presentation of their program [ 29 , 30 ]. Despite early unfamiliarity with digital platforms, they are increasingly recognized as effective and efficient means of communication and assessment for recruitment [ 29 , 30 ]. There has been a move towards more holistic review rather than simple reliance on test scores for decisions regarding interviews [ 1 , 31 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual residency recruitment: future directions in the new era

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to many changes in healthcare including graduate medical education (GME). Residency and fellowship programs halted in-person recruitment and pivoted to virtual models. Residency selection and recruitment were practices ripe for redesign, as they relied on in-person interviewing as the major point of contact prior to match list creation. In this commentary, we review the state of virtual interviewing and propose a future state where virtual interactions are commonplace and integrated into a comprehensive recruitment process. Discussion Virtual recruitment has led to a reduction of expenses, improved time efficiency for all parties and a reduced carbon footprint. Residency match outcomes have not changed substantially with the advent of virtual interviewing. Hybrid approaches, including virtual and in-person options have significant drawbacks and pitfalls which may limit adoption. Given the upheaval in GME recruitment caused by the pandemic, and the limitations of current methods for candidate assessment and interactions with programs, further innovation is needed to achieve an optimal state for all stakeholders. Multiple technology innovations are on the horizon which may improve the ability to interact virtually. Adoption of new technology along with expanding the timeline for residency recruitment may further optimize the process for both applicants and programs. Conclusions The GME community was able to adopt technology for the recruitment interview rapidly due to the pandemic. As more opportunities for technology-based interactions grow, the opportunity exists to reimagine recruitment beyond the interview. While resources are constrained, some of the efficiencies gained by adopting virtual interviewing can be leveraged to expand the interactions between programs and applicants. Incorporation of in-person interaction may still be needed. Models will need to be developed to build upon the best characteristics of the virtual and in-person environments to optimize GME recruitment. KEY MESSAGES: Virtual communication methods have substantially changed residency recruitment during the COVID -19 pandemic. COVID -19 related changes in residency recruitment, including wide adoption of virtual methods, should be maintained and strengthened. Efforts should be made to advance the gains in residency recruitment strategy during the pandemic by use of technologies that expand virtual interactions beyond the interview.

show abstract

Increasing Social Media Presence for Graduate Medical Education Programs

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

General Surgery Twitter during COVID-19: Tweets, Trends, and Implications for Recruitment Strategies

General Surgery Twitter during COVID-19: Tweets, Trends, and Implications for Recruitment Strategies

A Match Made in Cyberspace: Applicant Perspectives on a Virtual Residency Application Process

Virtual residency recruitment: future directions in the new era

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About