ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The dissemination of information about residency programs is a vital step in residency recruitment. Traditional methods of distributing information have been printed brochures, websites, in-person interviews, and increasingly, social media. Away rotations and in-person interviews were cancelled, and interviews were virtual for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to describe postgraduate-year-1 (PGY1) residents' social media habits in regard to residency recruitment and their perceptions of the residency programs' social media accounts in light of the transition to virtual interviews. METHODS: A web-based 33-question survey was developed to evaluate personal social media use, perceptions of social media use by residency programs, and perceptions of the residency program content. Surveys were sent in 2021 to PGY1 residents at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota who participated in the 2020-2021 interview cycle. RESULTS: Of the 31 program directors contacted, 22 (71%) provided permission for their residents to complete the survey. Of 219 residents who received the survey, 67 (30%) completed the survey. Most respondents applied to a single specialty, and greater than 61% (41/67) of respondents applied to more than 30 programs. The social media platforms used most regularly by the respondents were Instagram (42/67, 63%), Facebook (36/67, 54%), and Twitter (22/67, 33%). Respondents used the program website (66/67, 99%), residents (47/67, 70%), and social media (43/67, 64%) as the most frequent resources to research programs. The most commonly used social media platforms to research programs were Instagram (38/66, 58%), Twitter (22/66, 33%), and Doximity (20/66, 30%). The type of social media post ranked as most interesting by the respondents was "resident life outside of the hospital." In addition, 68% (39/57) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their perception of a program was positively influenced by the residency program's social media account. CONCLUSIONS: In this multispecialty survey of PGY1 residents participating in the 2020-2021 virtual interview season, respondents preferred Instagram to Twitter or Facebook for gathering information on prospective residency programs. In addition, the program website, current residents, and social media platforms were the top-ranked resources used by prospective applicants. Having an up-to-date website and robust social media presence, particularly on Instagram, may become increasingly important in the virtual interview environment.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the effectiveness of communication training and its impact on burnout among healthcare providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners), in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of communication training on burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers participating in a Communication in Healthcare (CIH) module between October 31, 2019, through February 20, 2020, were identified using a scanned sign-in sheet. A 3-question online survey regarding the utilization of communication skills during the COVID-19 pandemic was sent via email. An ordinal scale was used to rate the effectiveness of the training on subsequent burnout and work satisfaction during the pandemic. Results: Of the 98 surveys distributed via email, a total of 33 participants completed the survey. Seventy-three percent of respondents agreed that communication training helped prevent burnout, and 39% strongly agreed that the modules improved work satisfaction. Conclusion: Our study found communication training was effective in reducing burnout in healthcare providers, in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants felt the communication tools learned from the training modules were useful in improving work satisfaction and communication with patients during the pandemic.