Download PDF
Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2026; 53(01): 117-122
DOI: 10.1055/a-2731-4609
Clinical Practice and Education
Original Article

Plastic Surgery Residency Program Instagram Engagement with Prospective Applicants: A Cohort Analysis in the United States

Authors

  • Michael I. Kim 

    1   Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
    2   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States

  • Janine S. Chan 

    1   Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States

  • Carly Askinas 

    2   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States

  • Joseph N. Carey 

    2   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States

  • David A. Daar 

    2   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States

  • Emma C. Koesters 

    2   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
Further Information
  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Background

Social media platforms, particularly Instagram, have revolutionized residency recruitment by offering integrated plastic surgery programs innovative avenues to showcase their culture and engage directly with prospective applicants. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this digital shift, making virtual interactions essential for evaluating program fit.

Methods

We identified 88 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited integrated plastic surgery programs for the academic year 2023 to 2024. Instagram posts from January 1, 2020, to October 26, 2024, were reviewed, focusing on “engagement posts” (e.g., meet-and-greets, question-and-answer [Q&A] sessions, open houses, workshops, conference meet-ups). Programs were stratified into cohorts based on Doximity rankings (Top 20, 21–40, 41–60, and 61–88), geographic region, and program size.

Results

All programs maintained active Instagram profiles, collectively sharing 13,719 posts and averaging 32.4 posts per program annually. Among these, 369 (2.7%) were engagement posts, with meet-and-greets accounting for 71.3% of such content. Notably, Top 20 programs posted significantly more frequently (52.6 posts/year) than lower-ranked cohorts (21–40: 35.0, 41–60: 26.8, 61–88: 20.1; p < 0.001) and had a higher engagement post rate (3.9% vs. 2.0–2.7%; p = 0.033).

Conclusion

Higher-ranked and larger programs exhibit a more robust Instagram presence with greater emphasis on engagement opportunities, despite these posts comprising only a small fraction of overall content. These findings highlight the potential for optimized social media strategies to enhance digital outreach and improve residency recruitment in an evolving virtual landscape.

Keywords

plastic surgery residency - Instagram - residency recruitment - program reputation

Contributors' Statement

M.I.K.: conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

J.S.C.: conceptualization, data curation, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

C.A.: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

J.N.C.: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

D.A.D.: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

E.C.K.: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.


Ethical Approval

In accordance with institutional policy and federal guidelines, this type of research does not require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.


Informed Consent

This study did not involve human subjects, identifiable patient information, or clinical data. All data were obtained from publicly accessible social media profiles, hence no patient consent is required.




Publication History

Received: 05 May 2025

Accepted: 19 October 2025

Accepted Manuscript online:
28 October 2025

Article published online:
30 January 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA