S2969 Trainee Perspectives on the Role of #GITwitter/X Professional Communities in Mentorship and Career Development: An ACG-EBGI-led Study

Introduction: Professional networking is vital for medical trainees, especially in competitive fields like gastroenterology (GI). The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of social media (SoMe) platforms for connecting with mentors and peers globally. This survey study explored trainees’ perceptions of SoMe’s role in mentorship and career development, with a focus on engagement within #GITwitter/X professional communities. Methods: This IRB-exempt study utilized a 29-item survey, developed and internally validated by the American College of Gastroenterology Evidence-Based GI (EBGI) SoMe Ambassadors group in collaboration with a GME survey expert. The survey was administered to trainees pursuing or engaged in US-based GI fellowship training via 1) the American College of Gastroenterology Research Committee listserv and 2) personal outreach by EBGI SoMe Ambassadors to colleagues at the same level of training between February and May 24, 2025. Respondents were categorized by #GITwitter/X engagement: SoMe non-users (no account), SoMe users (account, passive users) and SoMe ambassadors (account with active involvement/leadership in SoMe communities such as EBGI, Scoping Sundays, GI Journal Club). Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare ordinal outcomes across groups. Results: 146 respondents, predominantly GI fellows (66%), completed the survey. Eighteen percent were non-users, 38% were SoMe users, and 44% were SoMe ambassadors. GI society membership and conference attendance within the prior 3 years were significantly higher among SoMe ambassadors (100% and 98.4%, respectively) compared with SoMe users and non-users. Ambassadors also demonstrated higher academic productivity: they were more likely to have published ≥3 peer-reviewed GI papers (69.2% vs 32.7% SoMe users, P = 0.001) and to have delivered ≥3 abstracts or oral presentations at national/international GI conferences (87.7% vs 61.8%, P < 0.001). Additionally, they reported significantly higher rates of confidence reaching out to senior GI faculty for collaboration (P = 0.001) and were more likely to have secured ≥3 mentors within their institution (P = 0.03) and outside institution (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This survey suggests that engagement with SoMe GI communities may enhance networking skills and facilitate career development. However, the findings may also reflect inherent behavioral traits of the respondents—those who proactively establish professional SoMe accounts may already be inclined toward academic advancement. Prospective studies are warranted to further elucidate these relationships.