Contribution of the Hashtag #PathTweetAward to Pathology Education: From the Perspective of a Medical Student

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Objective Pathology education reaches a wide audience through social media platforms. Sharing the findings and educational material of studies in the field of pathology with a large audience through social media will accelerate the scientific and educational progress. By utilizing social media, pathologists can increase their impact on educating other physicians along with medical students. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the contribution of the hashtag #PathTweetAward to the pathology education of medical students, pathologists, pathology residents, and physicians in other branches. We tried to measure the awareness of #PathTweetAward among people who use social media for educational purposes. Methods/Case Report Our population is Full-time Medical Students(63/67) and Physicians(4/67) from various medical faculties in Turkey. We applied the survey via Online Google Forms Questionnaire(47 participants) and Face- to-face Questionnaire(20 participants). We collected demographical and qualitative data for the cross-sectional study, and statistical analyses were performed by comparing/contrasting. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) With survey results, it is clear that using PathTwitter is a great educational tool and discussion platform. Nevertheless, it is being used for educational purposes by only 22,39% of respondents, PathTwitter had heard by only 20,90% of respondents, and the numerical value of how useful the posts shared with PathTwitter is 5,86 (1-10). Also, it should not be forgotten that the percentage of usage of Twitter by respondents is 67,69%, meaning that they are aware of and can use the platform. Most people who have used social media for educational purposes have not heard of #PathTweetAward. However, 89,55% (60/67) of respondents find #PathTweetAward helpful (with an average of 5,85/10). 50,94% (27/53) said they would use #PathTweetAward for educational purposes after hearing it for the first time(response 79,10% (53/67), average 3,48/5). Conclusion This study aimed to determine whether social media users were familiar with #PathTweetAward and whether they found it to be a helpful educational resource. We hypothesized that people who have used social media for educational purposes have heard of #PathTweetAward. Given these points, pathology is a field that uses Twitter best and most in education, communication, and collaboration. Although the proportion of respondents familiar with #PathTweetAward was low, the majority of those familiar with this initiative found it to be a helpful educational resource.