JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The dissemination of information about residency programs is a vital step in residency recruitment. Traditional methods of distributing information have been printed brochures, websites, in-person interviews, and increasingly social media.

Objective:

To describe postgraduate-year-1 (PGY1) residents’ social media habits in regards to residency recruitment and perceptions of residency program social media accounts in light of the transition to virtual interviews.

Methods:

Surveys were sent in 2021 to PGY1 residents at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota asking for personal social media use, social media use in regard to residency programs, and perceptions of residency program content during the 2020-2021 interview cycle.

Results:

Thirty percent of residents completed the survey (67/219). Greater than sixty percent of respondents applied to more than 30 programs. The social media platforms used most were Instagram (62.7%), Facebook (53.7%), and Twitter (32.8%). Respondents used the program website (98.5%), residents (70.1%), and social media (64.2%) as most frequent resources to research programs. The most commonly used social media platforms to research programs were Instagram (57.6%), Twitter (33.3%), and Doximity (30.3%). The type of social media post ranked as most interesting by respondents was “resident life outside of the hospital.”

Conclusions:

Having an up-to-date website and robust social media presence, particularly on Instagram, may become increasingly important in the virtual interview environment.