title: Influence of social networking websites on medical school and residency selection process.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social networking (SN) has become ubiquitous in modern culture. The potential consequences of revealing personal information through SN websites are not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess familiarity with, usage of, and attitudes towards, SN websites by admissions offices at US medical schools and residency programmes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 26-question survey was distributed in autumn 2009 to 130 US medical school admissions officers and 4926 residency programme directors accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 600 surveys were completed, with 46 (8%) respondents who self-identified as reviewing only medical school applications, 511 (85%) who reported reviewing residency programme applications and 43 (7%) who reported reviewing both. 90/600 (15%) medical schools or programmes maintain profiles on SN websites and 381/600 (64%) respondents reported being somewhat or very familiar with searching individual profiles on SN websites. While a minority of medical schools and residency programmes routinely use SN websites in the selection process (53/600; 9%), more than half of respondents felt that unprofessional information on applicants' SN websites could compromise their admission into medical school or residency (315/600; 53%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SN websites will affect selection of medical students and residents. Formal guidelines for professional behaviour on SN websites might help applicants avoid unforeseen bias in the selection process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, PO Box 016960 (D-40), Miami, FL 33101, USA. CSchulman@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Carl I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.forename: Fernanda M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Kuchkarian
authors.forename: Kelly F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Withum
authors.forename: Felix S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Boecker
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Graygo
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods*; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D060756:Social Networking; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires