ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO EVALUATE PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE FELLOWSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS BY APPLICANTS

SESSION TITLE: Tuesday Abstract Posters SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Posters PRESENTED ON: 10/22/2019 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM PURPOSE: As the use of social media platforms increases, many in medical education have attempted to capitalize on this technology with various initiatives aimed at enhancing key areas such as education and recruitment. These endeavors include the use of social media to promote educational conferences and disseminate new research. The screening of applicants’ social media pages has also been used to help with the selection process for training programs. Despite this known use of social media by training programs to screen prospective candidates, it is unclear whether fellowship applicants use social media to evaluate potential training programs. METHODS: A ten question survey on social media usage was developed and sent to 51 individuals who interviewed at our institution during the 2018 application cycle. The survey was deemed exempt for review by our Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: Twenty five (49.0%) out of 51 individuals completed the survey. Of those answering, 22 reported the use of at least one social media account with the most common being Facebook (20/25) followed by Instagram (10/25) and Twitter (10/25). Twelve (48.0%) of the survey respondents used social media to augment their medical education. Only 6 (24.0%) reported evaluating fellowship programs based on their social media page prior to deciding where to apply and interview. The most frequently cited evaluation criteria that the applicants looked for were the success of current fellows, livability of the town/city, and the quality of educational posts. The scholarship and social activities of current fellows were cited as the most common items that the applicants would like to see from the social media account of fellowship programs. CONCLUSIONS: Though many applicants use social media as a tool to supplement their medical education, fewer trainees use it when deciding where to apply for fellowship. However, with the likelihood that the use of social media will continue to increase, further studies are needed to evaluate the features that applicants might be looking for in training programs. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: While there are no major clinical findings from this survey, there are educational implications. Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship programs may consider tailoring their social media activities based on the results of this survey to help attract potential applicants. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Timothy Dempsey, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Megan Dulohery Scrodin, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Kelly Pennington, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Kannan Ramar, source=Web Response