Interactive pathology teaching on Instagram: Engagement outcomes from a 4-week pilot study

Social media is increasingly employed for medical education, yet Instagram remains under-explored for visually rich disciplines, such as pathology. Using an established Instagram profile (@Patholife, >6000 followers), we delivered a structured, interactive educational series covering colorectal cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer over a 4-week study period (1 week of promotion, 3 weeks of content delivery) in November-December 2024. Most interactions with this content were passive (likes and saves). Engagement patterns differed by topic and post type, although inferential findings were interpreted cautiously because views were not independent and the number of posts was small. On-platform quizzes generated greater visible participation than the external Qualtrics quiz, although this comparison was confounded by concurrent post-boosting. No significant difference was found between Story Poll and Case Study quiz formats (p = 0.76). Boosting increased visibility descriptively but did not enhance deeper engagement. Framed by Cognitive Load Theory and Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, findings underscore three principles for digital pathology education: (1) embed interactive content directly on-platform; (2) use visually rich, concise materials aligned with multimedia learning principles; and (3) employ boosting selectively for visibility. Instagram shows promise for interactive, accessible pathology education globally, though direct measurement of learning outcomes remains a critical next step.