The Prevalence and Utility of Vascular Surgery Training Programs' and Vascular Societies’ Social Media Presence

An evaluation of social media utilization by general surgery programs in the COVID-19 era

“…This may be attributed to recent increases in use of this platform for professional networking purposes seen in other medical and surgical fields. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 This increased number of tweets observed in more than half the programs on Twitter is likely a response to the virtual shift due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While our study did not analyze the content of each tweet, we postulate that each account promoted their department and residency program, shared events, and publicized new virtually available opportunities.…”

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

“…Although the number of posts needed to improve residency program recruitment has not been specifically examined, there is some thought that more posts lead to a higher level of engagement. 11 , 14 As it relates to the differential use in Instagram and Twitter, we hypothesize that Instagram may be perceived by applicants as a platform that better depicts a program's culture compared to Twitter, which may be used more to explore specific professional components, such as recent publications or presentations at national conferences. While Instagram may highlight more cultural aspects of a program, like social hours and life outside of the hospital.…”

“…Several studies have looked at trends of social media use by various surgical specialties, including otolaryngology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, urology, vascular, and recently general surgery. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 However, there is little information about current patterns of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic by general surgery residency programs and departments. The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of use of Twitter and Instagram, in 2020 versus prior years, by general surgery residency programs and their respective departments.…”

Social Media in Surgery

“…15 Other surgical disciplines such as urology, otolaryngology, and vascular surgery have similar studies demonstrating the engagement at a departmental and program level. [16][17][18] Twitter and other social media platforms undoubtedly afford residency programs the opportunity to differentiate themselves, and this feature of social media to connect with prospective students and future residents could not be more relevant than during COVID-19. With virtual interviews and social gatherings replacing traditional interview days, the use of social media to promote a program's unique brand is now vital.…”