Social Media as a Means of Networking and Mentorship: Role for Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery

As women represent <5% of practicing cardiothoracic (CT) surgeons, networking and mentorship is pivotal to support the growth of women in this field. With widespread use of social media in the healthcare domain, its role in enhancing mentorship for CT surgeons who lack access to same-sex mentors remains unknown. Methods: A 35-item survey investigating CT trainee and surgeon social media use was designed using online survey software and distributed via social media and email. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. One hundred fifty-six respondents who completed the survey reported careers in surgery, among whom 27 (17.3%) were in CT surgery. Despite expressing value for the role of same-sex mentorship in their careers more than those in other surgical specialties (P = 0.044), respondents in CT surgery were more likely to lack exposure to same-sex mentors at their own institution (P = 0.028). Compared to other surgical specialties, CT surgery respondents more frequently engaged with mentors of the same sex by viewing social media sites (P = 0.041) to discuss topics regarding surviving a career in the field (P = 0.049) and promotion of scholarship opportunities (P < 0.001). CT surgery respondents reported a trend towards a greater likelihood of using social media to build a network of same-sex mentorship compared to other surgical specialties (P = 0.077). Conclusions: Social media serves as a valuable tool to enhance the networking and mentorship of surgeons, particularly for women in CT surgery who may lack exposure to same-sex mentors at their own institution. Longitudinal studies surrounding the effectiveness of mentorship by social media are warranted.