Utilizing Instagram Stories to deliver educational content to medical students in pediatrics: curricular design and...

Utilization of social media has been described in medical education, but Instagram as an educational platform for the pediatric clerkship has not yet been reported. We created a 29-item Instagram Story curriculum with summative examination-relevant topics to supplement the pediatric clerkship for third-year medical students. Engagement in the Instagram curriculum was assessed by measuring Storyviews, calculating Story retention rates (number of users who viewed al lslides/number of users who viewed the first slide  100) and analyzing mini-quizperformance.  Students completed a voluntary 7-item survey at clerkship end to assess overall satisfaction with the Instagram curriculum.  Quantitative analysis of questions using a 7-item scale and qualitative analysis of responses from open-ended questions were performed. A total of 132 students participated over a period of eight 6-week blocks.  During the study period, the average number of views on the first slide in a Story was 24.8 and the average number of views on the last slide of a story was 13.3 per block.  Average retention rate was 54.3%, mini-quiz engagement rate was 32.0%, and percent correct on mini-quizzes was 87.6%.  Students positively rated the Instagram curriculum on feasibility (83.6%), clerkship relevance (89.1%), facilitating engagement in the material (65.5%), assisting in NBME pediatric subject exam preparation (61.8%), and recommending the modality to other clerkships (69.1%). This study provides evidence that the use of an Instagram curriculum within a core pediatric clerkship is feasible, engaging, relevant, and favorably received by medical students.  We conclude that Instagram can be successfully integrated into clinical undergraduate medical education.