Twitter and Instagram Use in the Urology Residency Application Process

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Digital Health

Background:

• Social media platforms are increasingly utilized by medical professionals and trainees.
• Understanding applicant engagement with social media during residency recruitment is crucial for optimizing the application process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess urology applicant attitudes and social media usage patterns during the 2021 urology residency match.
• To determine if social media use correlates with match outcomes, such as interview invitations and rank list placement.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous, 22-question survey was distributed to urology applicants for the 2021 match.
• Survey data on social media use and perceived usefulness were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
• Chi-square analyses examined the relationship between social media engagement and match outcomes.

Main Results:

• Of 144 respondents, 49% created new Twitter accounts and 71% had existing Instagram accounts.
• Twitter was primarily used for gathering program information (84%) and learning about events (89%).
• Social media use did not significantly impact the number of interviews obtained or rank list position (P > .10 for all comparisons).

Conclusions:

• Twitter served as a valuable information resource for urology applicants during the virtual interview process.
• Despite widespread applicant use, social media engagement did not demonstrably affect match success in the 2021 cycle.
• Further research may explore the evolving role of social media in residency recruitment and its potential impact on applicant decisions.