Assessment and Evaluation of Social Engagement in Dermatology Residency Programs on Instagram: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Without traditional in-person experiences due to COVID-19, dermatology residency applicants and programs had to search for new ways to get to know one another. Thus, many programs created or enhanced their social media accounts, specifically Instagram, providing an avenue for applicants. The Instagram Engagement Score (IES) is a tool that quantifies an Instagram account’s engagement. OBJECTIVE We assessed the factors that influence a dermatology residency program Instagram account's total followers count and IES. METHODS Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education-accredited dermatology residency programs in the United States were identified and evaluated on 3/6/2021-3/7/2021. Posts were categorized into educational, departmental, academic and professional, social, or other posts. RESULTS 78 residency programs have Instagram accounts. 69 accounts were active, or posting after November 2020. Other than posts, Instagram Stories was used most frequently (51%). 60 accounts opened in 2020. University of Miami had the most followers (N=2260) while University of Kansas had the highest IES (IES=23.76). Program location and affiliation did not affect total followers or IES. Utilizing Instagram TV (p=0.019) significantly increased total followers, but not IES. Using linear correlation, total posts and departmental posts correlated with increased total follower count (p<0.001, p=0.018 respectively) and IES (p<0.001, p=0.008 respectively). CONCLUSIONS Instagram is a valuable platform for a dermatology residency program’s self-promotion and recruitment following COVID-19. We recommend dermatology residency programs to open an Instagram account and make more posts, especially departmental content. CLINICALTRIAL