Like, Share, and Follow! Analysis of the Use of Social Media by Pathology Residency Programs

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Objective To establish the patterns of social media usage across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for pathology residency programs and departments from January 2018 to August 2022. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind focused on pathology residency programs. Methods/Case Report A list of pathology residency programs was compiled from National Resident Matching Program data. Websites for pathology residencies and major social media platforms were searched for pathology program accounts. The date of creation, number of followers, and number of likes were tracked for each program’s account(s). Each post between January 2018 and August 2022 was categorized according to the content (i.e resident life, education, research announcements, etc.), the number of likes, comments, and shares. Data collection is ongoing with future plans to compare posts and social media popularity between programs based on residency program size, prestige, and geographic location. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Preliminarily 86 residency programs and 110 social media accounts were identified. There was an increase in social media posts between 2018 and 2022 with Twitter being the most utilized platform. The most commonly posted content category was pathology education, particularly on Twitter. Programs can use this information to create education-based posts or expand on existing teaching programs through social media. While educational posts had the most likes on Facebook, posts focused on the MATCH (the process in which medical students are accepted into a residency program) garnered the most likes on Twitter and Instagram. Conclusion A closer look into how residency programs are using social media and the relative success of posts could be used to increase visibility of residency programs as the resident recruitment process continues to be conducted virtually. The prevalence and popularity of education-focused posts shows that social media is an effective platform to teach pathology and is well received by viewers. Future research can focus on how pathology residency social media posts may have impacted residents, students, and other social media consumers on their decision to apply or to attend a program and/or interest in pathology.