#UroSoMe: Growth and innovation of the social media landscape of urology residency programs and applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the urology residency application cycle on social media engagement and account creation by urology residency programs and applicants. Materials and Methods: A list of accredited urology residency programs was taken from the Electronic Residency Application Service, excluding military-sponsored programs. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts of programs and applicants were then identified through Google and individual platform searches. Results: One hundred and nineteen out of 140 urology programs had Twitter accounts, with 29 created in 2020. Urology program Instagram accounts had the largest growth rate in 2020 of 227.8%. Almost all urology programs that had Instagram or Facebook accounts also had a Twitter account. Urology programs promoted a total of 277 virtual events on Twitter, 83 on Instagram, and 48 on Facebook. Sixteen subinternships were promoted on Twitter, two on Instagram, and two on Facebook. In the 2021 match, 136 of the 237 matched applicants on Twitter made their accounts in the year leading up to the match and 42 of the 162 matched applicants on Twitter created their Twitter accounts during the 2019 cycle. Conclusion: The number of urology programs on Twitter and Instagram increased in 2020 at a faster rate than previous years. Many programs used their accounts to promote virtual events and subinternships. Applicants who matched in 2021 made Twitter accounts during their application year at a higher rate than the previous application cycle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, urology programs and applicants utilized social media, especially Twitter, to engage and learn about each other.