Evaluating Applicant Perceptions of the Impact of Social Media on the 2020-2021 Residency Application Cycle Occurring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Study

Background Due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, residency programs in the United States conducted virtual interviews during the 2020-2021 application season. As a result, programs and applicants may have relied more heavily on social media–based communication and dissemination of information. Objective We sought to determine social media’s impact on residency applicants during an entirely virtual application cycle. Methods An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to 465 eligible 2021 Match applicants at 4 University of California Schools of Medicine in the United States. Results A total of 72 participants (15.5% of eligible respondents), applying to 16 specialties, responded. Of those who responded, 53% (n=38) reported following prospective residency accounts on social media, and 89% (n=34) of those respondents were positively or negatively influenced by these accounts. The top three digital methods by which applicants sought information about residency programs included the program website, digital conversations with residents and fellows of that program, and Instagram. Among respondents, 53% (n=38) attended virtual information sessions for prospective programs. A minority of applicants (n=19, 26%) adjusted the number of programs they applied to based on information found on social media, with most (n=14, 74%) increasing the number of programs to which they applied. Survey respondents ranked social media’s effectiveness in allowing applicants to learn about programs at 6.7 (SD 2.1) on a visual analogue scale from 1-10. Most applicants (n=61, 86%) felt that programs should use social media in future application cycles even if they are nonvirtual. Conclusions Social media appears to be an important tool for resident recruitment. Future studies should seek more information on its effect on later parts of the application cycle and the Match.

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Evaluating Applicant Perceptions of the Impact of Social Media on the 2020-2021 Residency Application Cycle Occurring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29486 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ariana Naaseh ◽

Sean Thompson ◽

Steven Tohmasi ◽

Warren Wiechmann ◽

Shannon Toohey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Future Application ◽

Residency Programs ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

Applicant Perceptions ◽

Residency Application ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, residency programs in the United States conducted virtual interviews during the 2020-2021 application season. As a result, programs and applicants may have relied more heavily on social media–based communication and dissemination of information. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine social media’s impact on residency applicants during an entirely virtual application cycle. METHODS An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to 465 eligible 2021 Match applicants at 4 University of California Schools of Medicine in the United States. RESULTS A total of 72 participants (15.5% of eligible respondents), applying to 16 specialties, responded. Of those who responded, 53% (n=38) reported following prospective residency accounts on social media, and 89% (n=34) of those respondents were positively or negatively influenced by these accounts. The top three digital methods by which applicants sought information about residency programs included the program website, digital conversations with residents and fellows of that program, and Instagram. Among respondents, 53% (n=38) attended virtual information sessions for prospective programs. A minority of applicants (n=19, 26%) adjusted the number of programs they applied to based on information found on social media, with most (n=14, 74%) increasing the number of programs to which they applied. Survey respondents ranked social media’s effectiveness in allowing applicants to learn about programs at 6.7 (SD 2.1) on a visual analogue scale from 1-10. Most applicants (n=61, 86%) felt that programs should use social media in future application cycles even if they are nonvirtual. CONCLUSIONS Social media appears to be an important tool for resident recruitment. Future studies should seek more information on its effect on later parts of the application cycle and the Match.

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OHNS Residency Program and Applicant Social Media Presence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/0003489420987977 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000348942098797

Author(s):

Shadi Ahmadmehrabi ◽

Deborah X. Xie ◽

Bryan K. Ward ◽

Paul C. Bryson ◽

Patrick Byrne

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

The United States ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Application Process ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Residency Programs ◽

Social Media Presence ◽

Residency Application ◽

The Impact ◽

Residency Match

Objectives: In addition to clinical and social disruption, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many aspects of the otolaryngology residency application process. With delays in the 2021 Electronic Residency Applications Service (ERAS) timeline, students and programs have had more time to interact prior to the formal application process. This communication will report recent trends in social media presence by OHNS residency programs, and discuss mechanisms to compensate for decreased applicant-program interactions using social media ahead of the 2021 Match. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of the accredited otolaryngology residency programs in the United States, the number of social media profiles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook from 2009 to 2019 were recorded and compared. Results: Most programs (61%) have at least 1 social media profile. Over the past 10 years, the number of programs on social media has increased. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter and Instagram showed higher rates of growth compared to Facebook. With the reduction of in-person opportunities for interactions, both applicants and programs are utilizing social media to showcase their values and their research. Twitter, in particular, also serves as a platform for professional networking. Conclusion: Both Twitter and Instagram are growing in popularity among programs and applicants to enhance networking. Social media is a powerful tool for networking and may help compensate for limitations imposed on the residency match process by the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining professionalism considerations. The impact of social media on the 2021 otolaryngology residency match is an evolving phenomenon.

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Social media impact in the Match: A survey of current trends in the United States

Archives of Plastic Surgery ◽

10.5999/aps.2020.00836 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 107-113

Author(s):

Thomas N. Steele ◽

Laura Galarza-Paez ◽

Gabriela Aguilo-Seara ◽

Lisa R. David

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Application Process ◽

Residency Programs ◽

Manual Search ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Residency Application

Background Applicants to integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) residency in the United States spend exorbitant amounts of time and money throughout the interview process. Outside of first-hand experience through a visiting rotation, applicants utilize various resources in learning about a program. Today’s applicants are “Millennials,” the demographic cohort raised during the information age and proficient with digital technology. The authors evaluated whether programs have a presence on social media, and whether applicants are following these accounts.Methods An online survey was sent to applicants to a single integrated plastic surgery program evaluating basic demographics, social media utilization, and sources of information accessed throughout the residency application process. A manual search of popular social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) was performed in October 2019. Accounts affiliated with integrated PRS programs were identified and analyzed.Results Eighty-four of 222 applicants (37.8%) completed the survey. Ninety-six percent of applicants were within the Millennial demographic. Ninety-six percent of applicants had some form of social media presence, with Facebook (90%) and Instagram (87%) being the most popular platforms. Seventy-three percent of applicants reported following a PRS residency social media account. As of October 2019, 59 integrated residency programs (73%) have active Instagram accounts.Conclusions Applicants still rely on the program website when researching potential residencies, but social media is being rapidly adopted by programs. Program social media accounts should be used as a dynamic form of communication to better inform applicants of program strengths and weaknesses.

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A survey of Instagram users with asthma to evaluate the acceptability of a planned clinical trial intervention (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24005 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kerry Spitzer ◽

Brent Heineman ◽

Marcella Jewell ◽

Michael Moran ◽

Peter Lindenauer

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

College Education ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Care Providers ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Hispanic White

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects nearly 25 million individuals in the United States. There is a need for more research into the potential for health care providers to leverage existing social media platforms to improve healthy behaviors and support individuals living with chronic health conditions. OBJECTIVE In this study, we assess the willingness of Instagram users with poorly controlled asthma to participate in a pilot study that uses Instagram as a means of providing social and informational support. In addition, we explore the potential for adapting photovoice and digital storytelling to social media. METHODS A survey study of Instagram users living with asthma in the United States, between the ages of 18 to 40. RESULTS Over 3 weeks of recruitment, 457 individuals completed the pre-survey screener; 347 were excluded. Of the 110 people who were eligible and agreed to participate in the study, 82 completed the study survey. Respondents mean age was 21(SD = 5.3). Respondents were 56% female (n=46), 65% (n=53) non-Hispanic white, and 72% (n=59) had at least some college education. The majority of respondents (n = 66, 81%) indicated that they would be willing to participate in the study. CONCLUSIONS Among young-adult Instagram users with asthma there is substantial interest in participating in a study that uses Instagram to connect participants with peers and a health coach in order to share information about self-management of asthma and build social connection.

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1414. #Vaccine Twitter Influencers: is it Just About Reach and Followers?

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.1596 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S714-S715

Author(s):

Jean-Etienne Poirrier ◽

Theodore Caputi ◽

John Ayers ◽

Mark Dredze ◽

Sara Poston ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Standard Deviation ◽

Small Proportion ◽

The United States ◽

Research Support ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Media Messages ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background A small number of powerful users (“influencers”) dominates conversations on social media platforms: less than 1% of Twitter accounts have at least 3,000 followers and even fewer have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers. Beyond simple metrics (number of tweets, retweets...) little is known about these “influencers”, particularly in relation to their role in shaping online narratives about vaccines. Our goal was to describe influential Twitter accounts that are driving conversations about vaccines and present new metrics of influence. Methods Using publicly-available data from Twitter, we selected posts from 1-Jan-2016 to 31-Dec-2018 and extracted the top 5% of accounts tweeting about vaccines with the most followers. Using automated classifiers, we determined the location of these accounts, and grouped them into those that primarily tweet pro- versus anti-vaccine content. We further characterized the demographics of these influencer accounts. Results From 25,381 vaccine-related tweets available in our sample representing 10,607 users, 530 accounts represented the top 5% by number of followers. These accounts had on average 1,608,637 followers (standard deviation=5,063,421) and 340,390 median followers. Among the accounts for which sentiment was successfully estimated by the classifier, 10.4% (n=55) posted anti-vaccine content and 33.6% (n=178) posted pro-vaccine content. Of the 55 anti-vaccine accounts, 50% (n=18) of the accounts for which location was successfully determined were from the United States. Of the 178 pro-vaccine accounts, 42.5% (n=54) were from the United States. Conclusion This study showed that only a small proportion of Twitter accounts (A) post about vaccines and (B) have a high follower count and post anti-vaccine content. Further analysis of these users may help researchers and policy makers better understand how to amplify the impact of pro-vaccine social media messages. Disclosures Jean-Etienne Poirrier, PhD, MBA, The GSK group of companies (Employee, Shareholder) Theodore Caputi, PhD, Good Analytics Inc. (Consultant) John Ayers, PhD, GSK (Grant/Research Support) Mark Dredze, PhD, Bloomberg LP (Consultant)Good Analytics (Consultant) Sara Poston, PharmD, The GlaxoSmithKline group of companies (Employee, Shareholder) Cosmina Hogea, PhD, GlaxoSmithKline (Employee, Shareholder)

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A Comparative Study on Social Media Use and Public Participation in Korea and the United States: Does Social Media Matter?

Korean Journal of Policy Studies ◽

10.52372/kjps30108 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 207-230

Author(s):

Kim Eun Yi

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Public Participation ◽

Interaction Effect ◽

Media Use ◽

Positive Impact ◽

The United States ◽

The Political ◽

Social Media Use ◽

The Impact

This study examines how the use of different types of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, affects public participation, drawing on the theory of motivation, which addresses the effect of internal and external political efficacy as well as the perceived political importance of social media. The study also investigates the interaction effect between social media use and perceived the political importance of social media on public participation. Employing a comparative perspective on an issue that has not been well studied, the study further seeks to discover potential variations in the impacts of different social media on public participation in the United States and Korea, both of which held presidential elections at the end of 2012. This study conducted hierarchical multiple regression analyses using data collected from college students in the United States and Korea. It shows the positive impact of social media use and its interaction effect with the perceived political importance of social media on the offline and online public participation of youth. The political motivational factor is found to be critical to driving public participation. This study also shows that the impact of Facebook use is more influential than Twitter use on public participation in the United States, whereas the opposite pattern is observed in Korea.

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The impact of nurse residency programs in the United States on improving retention and satisfaction of new nurse hires: An evidence-based literature review

Nurse Education Today ◽

10.1016/j.nedt.2018.09.003 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 71 ◽

pp. 84-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Caitlin M. Eckerson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Literature Review ◽

The United States ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Residency Programs ◽

Nurse Residency ◽

Nurse Residency Programs ◽

The Impact

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Rumors on the Net: A Brackish Suspension of Speech and Hate

Law Culture and the Humanities ◽

10.1177/1743872119880121 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 174387211988012 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anne Wagner ◽

Sarah Marusek

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Hate Speech ◽

Public Memory ◽

The United States ◽

Online Social Media ◽

Cyber Culture ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

The Impact ◽

Mob Mentality

The legitimacy of public memory and socially normative standards of civility is questioned through rumors that abound on online social media platforms. On the Net, the proclivity of rumors is particularly prone to acts of bullying and frameworks of hate speech. Legislative attempts to limit rumors operate differently in France and throughout Europe from the United States. This article examines the impact of online rumors, the mob mentality, and the politicization of bullying critics within a cyber culture that operates within the limitations of law.

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