Evaluation of Emergency Medicine Residency Programs' use of social media in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected the ability of residency programs and applicants to interact using traditional methods of in-person interviews and visiting rotations. We examined the social media presence of emergency medicine (EM) residency training programs and how programs responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) identified EM residency programs that participated in the 2021 match. Programs were reviewed for the presence of a website and social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as foundation date. Data were collected after the ERAS application deadline. Results All programs, except one, had some sort of online presence. A total of 258 websites and 476 social media accounts were identified. The majority of programs maintained an account on Twitter (75%), Instagram (61%), or Facebook (38%). Most Twitter and Facebook accounts were established before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 46% of Instagram accounts were created after March 1, 2020. During 2020, there was a 34% increase in total social media account development, higher than in previous years. Conclusion EM residency training programs have a robust online presence. Account development continued to grow in 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and growth on Instagram was noted to be substantial. Interactions through online platforms may supplement the residency application process, but their efficacy is unclear.