Purpose: To investigate the utility of social media platforms in the recruitment of obstetrics and gynecology residency applicants.
Background: Social media is a novel resource in medical education that may play a role in the recruitment of residency applicants. As applicants continue to apply to an increasing number of programs, social media may provide insight to the community behind a program.
Methods: Applicants who interviewed at a single academic institution during the 2019-2020 interview season completed an anonymous online survey examining the utility of social media platforms in the pursuit of an obstetrics and gynecology residency.
Results: The survey response rate was 64.6% (n=45) of 65 applicants who interviewed at this institution. All applicants reported using some type of social media, with Facebook (90.5%, n=38) and Instagram (78.6%, n=33) being the most utilized. Social media was used by 28.6% (n=12) of respondents to investigate programs prior to applying/interviewing at that institution; Instagram was the primary platform used (100%, n=12). The most desired content was resident wellness (95.2%, n=40) and information on residents/faculty (83.3%, n=35). Applicant perception of a program was felt to be impacted by social media presence in 37.5% (n=15) of those surveyed and 57.1% (n=24) felt that a residency program’s social media presence was an important recruitment strategy.
Discussions: Our findings suggest that social media may become an essential recruitment strategy for applicants seeking post-graduate training in obstetrics and gynecology. We look forward to comparing the results from this study to the 2020-2021 applicant cohort, after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Student, Resident, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, GME, UME, General Ob-Gyn,
Jasmine Haller, MD, University of Missouri Kansas City; Allen Ghareeb, MD; Pedro Morales, MD
