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

Haskins, Ivy N.; Sillcox, Rachel; Ganguli, Sangrag; Ichiuji, Brynne A.; Amdur, Richard L.; Vaziri, Khashayar; Lee, Juliet; Jackson, Hope T.

doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2021.04.009

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…This study includes the most detailed analysis to date of content included in orthopaedic residency program Instagram posts. It reinforces findings of previous studies on orthopaedic programs 11-13 and on dermatology, 14,15 general surgery, 16 plastic surgery, 10,17 and vascular surgery 18 programs that these Instagram posts are most often used to introduce applicants to residents and, to a lesser extent, faculty. A large emphasis seems to be placed on depicting what life is like for residents outside the hospital.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Instagram Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

Bixby

Danford

Desai

et al. 2022

J Am Acad Orthop Surg

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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 1,1566 750 followers and 59 6 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.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Instagram Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

Bixby

Danford

Desai

et al. 2022

J Am Acad Orthop Surg

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“…This aligns with previously published data showing that promotion of the residency program and community's accomplishments generated the greatest follower engagement, more so than promotion of education. 10 One possible explanation for this finding could be that followers of ophthalmology residency program's Instagram accounts are most interested in using Instagram to understand the culture and life of the program. A 2021 study of 64 otolaryngology (ENT) residency applicants found that 85% of applicants reported social media accounts were most helpful in showcasing program culture, while less than 25% reported accounts were useful for education on ENT topics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 In this analysis, we assess specifically how ophthalmology residency programs have responded to pandemic restrictions through Instagram, a major social media outlet with a prominent presence in the medical field. [10][11][12][13][14]…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of Instagram by Ophthalmology Residency Programs in the Era of COVID-19

Qin¹,

Chen²,

Bashir³

et al. 2023

OPTH

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The aim of this research is to describe the use of the social media platform, Instagram, by academic ophthalmology residency programs in the United States over time and consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology's social media presence. Methods and Subjects: This cross-sectional study was conducted online by reviewing the publicly accessible Instagram accounts of all accredited US academic ophthalmology residency programs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Number of US ophthalmology residency programs with an affiliated Instagram account were analyzed by year of creation. The content of the top six accounts with the most followers was analyzed by evaluating amount of engagement within defined post categories. Results: Of the 124 ophthalmology residency programs, 78 (62.9%) were identified as having an affiliated Instagram account, 60 accounts (48.4%) were created during the years 2020 or 2021, and 62 (50.0%) accounts focused specifically on promoting the residency training program. Of the top six accounts with the most followers, post categories that received the most engagement were "Medical" and "Group Photo", while those that received the least engagement were "Department Bulletin" and "Miscellaneous." User engagement on posts as measured by likes and comments increased across multiple post categories after January 2020. Conclusion: Social media presence of ophthalmology residency programs on Instagram increased substantially in 2020 and 2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic restricting in-person interactions, residency programs have used alternative platforms to reach applicants. Given the increasing use of such applications, social media will likely continue to become an important aspect of professional engagement in ophthalmology.

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“…Furthermore, a new generation of applicants that has grown up with the internet is likely to turn to social media to supplement their understanding of programs and institutions. Studies delineating a role for social media increasingly demonstrate its value in both education and collaboration [ 6 ], and we wanted to better understand the characteristics of our Instagram account to address this.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous work on social media in hospitals quantified faculty perception of its utility [ 4 , 5 ] and presence in various subspecialties [ 6 - 10 ]. Studies have also reported its utility in crowdsourcing ideas and cited a model using social media to justify academic promotion [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Insta Residency:” Characteristics of Engagement With an Internal Medicine Residency Program Instagram Account

Li¹,

Tepper²,

Burger³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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Background Traditionally, medical training programs have been viewed and ranked according to factors such as national prestige, research opportunities and productivity, faculty prominence, and alumni success. While these components are still instrumental in attracting high-level applicants, the rise of social media has encouraged applicants to look beyond the traditional media put forth by institutions and turn to sources such as program-specific, departmental, or institutional social media pages for more rapid updates. To date, little has been written on how to maximize residency program social media use to engage target audiences of current residents, current faculty, other physicians, and applicants. To better understand how certain types of content lead to increased engagement, we analyze the Instagram social media platform of the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Internal Medicine Residency Program to identify potential trends in interactions to ultimately enhance the resident experience and institutional standing. Methodology We reviewed 257 posts on our Instagram account and calculated engagement of each category relative to the post count based on a method we developed. We used Instagram analytics to better understand our account’s reach. Results Posts highlighting social events had the highest engagement from the online community. Data also show that while the page is viewed by many people with the average medical student age, our page captures an even wider audience. Conclusions Instagram posts about the social element of our residency program generated statistically significant increased engagement. Institutions can use this strategy of focusing on the social aspects of the program to increase reputational scores within the medical and greater community.

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

Cited by 8 publications

References 20 publications

Instagram Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

Instagram Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs

Utilization of Instagram by Ophthalmology Residency Programs in the Era of COVID-19

“Insta Residency:” Characteristics of Engagement With an Internal Medicine Residency Program Instagram Account

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