Social Media in Academic Plastic Surgery Training Programs: A 5-Year Update

Purpose: Social media is an important tool for plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) training programs to engage prospective applicants. A study by the senior author (2020) describes an exponential increase in program presence on social media from 2010 to 2018. This study aims to provide an updated analysis of PRS training program utilization of social media in relation to prior results from our senior author. Materials and Methods: A national cross-sectional study of PRS programs was conducted. Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok were queried. Instagram posts were categorized by type. Factors influencing the number of followers were analyzed. Accounts were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Jonckheere-Terpstra, independent-sample T test, and regression analysis. Results: All 89 integrated PRS programs have Instagram accounts, with 19,498 total posts. Posts most often highlight the program/curriculum (34.8%), social activities (13.1%), and research-related content (10.4%). Nearly a quarter of posts (23.1%) were categorized as “other” (eg, birthday posts and nonspecific pictures of residents). The percentage of research-related posts has declined since 2020. Active program accounts on X and Facebook are declining linearly ( R 2 =0.96 and 0.70, respectively). Only one program has a TikTok account. Impact of region and rank on followers was consistent with prior findings. Conclusions: Social media adoption by PRS programs has stabilized following a period of growth described in 2020. Instagram is the most popular platform; Facebook and X use is declining. Instagram posts primarily depict program structure, curriculum, and culture, with a third of posts being nonacademic in nature.