Background The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted residency recruitment in 2020, posing unique challenges for programs and applicants alike. Anesthesiology programs have adopted alternate methods of recruitment, including virtual open houses and social media, due to limiting personal contact rules implemented by AAMC. This study was undertaken to determine the frequency of virtual events hosted and social media accounts created by programs. Methods Anesthesiology residency programs and departments were examined for social media presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Programs’ websites and social media posts were reviewed for virtual open house opportunities. Available sub-internships were collected from the Visiting Student Application Service database. Data was collected after 2020–2021 pre-interview recruitment in October 2020. Results Of 153 total anesthesiology residency programs, 96 (63%) had some form of social media presence. The platforms of choice for programs with social media accounts included Twitter (71, or 46%), Instagram (67, or 44%), and Facebook (47, or 31%). Forty of seventy-six residency-affiliated accounts were created after March 1, 2020; Instagram accounts (26 of 40) represented most of these. Most Anesthesiology programs (59%) offered virtual open houses for prospective applicants. Twitter (25%), Instagram (22%), and Facebook (8%) were used by programs to advertise these events. Conclusions Social media presence of anesthesiology residency programs has grown steadily over the past decade, with exponential growth experienced in 2020. This data suggests that anesthesiology residency programs are employing new, mostly virtual, methods to reach prospective applicants during an unprecedented application cycle amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis is consistently considered a key indicator of anesthesia care quality. PONV may disproportionately impact disadvantaged patients. The primary objectives of this study were to examine the associations between sociodemographic factors and the incidence of PONV and clinician adherence to a PONV prophylaxis protocol. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients eligible for an institution-specific PONV prophylaxis protocol (2015–2017). Sociodemographic and PONV risk data were collected. Primary outcomes were PONV incidence and clinician adherence to PONV prophylaxis protocol. We used descriptive statistics to compare sociodemographics, procedural characteristics, and protocol adherence for patients with and without PONV. Multivariable logistic regression analysis followed by Tukey-Kramer correction for multiple comparisons was used to test for associations between patient sociodemographics, procedural characteristics, PONV risk, and (1) PONV incidence and (2) adherence to PONV prophylaxis protocol. RESULTS: Within the 8384 patient sample, Black patients had a 17% lower risk of PONV than White patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–0.95; P = .006). When there was adherence to the PONV prophylaxis protocol, Black patients were less likely to experience PONV compared to White patients (aOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70–0.93; P = .003). When there was adherence to the protocol, patients with Medicaid were less likely to experience PONV compared to privately insured patients (aOR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64–1.04; P = .017). When the protocol was followed for high-risk patients, Hispanic patients were more likely to experience PONV than White patients (aOR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.18–7.42; adjusted P = .022). Compared to White patients, protocol adherence was lower for Black patients with moderate (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64–0.91; P = .003) and high risk (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42–0.78; P = .0004). CONCLUSIONS: Racial and sociodemographic disparities exist in the incidence of PONV and clinician adherence to a PONV prophylaxis protocol. Awareness of such disparities in PONV prophylaxis could improve the quality of perioperative care.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly transformed resident recruitment. It remains uncertain whether virtual modalities were effective for assessing and recruiting anesthesiology applicants during the 2020-2021 recruitment season. This study surveyed anesthesiology residency leadership to evaluate their perceptions of pre-interview virtual offerings, virtual interviews, and social media and the utility of these modalities for recruitment purposes. Methods: A Qualtrics XM survey was developed and distributed by email to anesthesiology residency program directors in June 2021. The survey was open until July 2021. Responses were anonymized, and descriptive statistics were performed for each survey question and answer choice. Partially completed surveys were excluded from analysis. Results: Of the 152 anesthesiology program directors reached via email, 28 surveys were completed, with a response rate of 18.3%. During the 2020 recruitment season, all surveyed programs employed pre-interview virtual offerings; twenty-six (93%) offered them for the first time. Most programs utilized virtual open houses (86%) and question and answer (Q&A) sessions with residents (68%). These offerings were primarily used to provide information to applicants (96%) and facilitate resident and applicant interaction (61%). Social media was used by most programs (85%) during the 2020-2021 recruitment cycle. Twenty (67%) developed social media account(s) in 2020, mostly on Instagram (95%) and Twitter (55%). Compared to pre-pandemic interview seasons, most programs (64%) extended more interview invitations, generally citing larger applicant pools and uncertainty related to gauging applicant interest. Most respondents (74%) believed applicants would be assessed similarly regardless of interview modality if dual options for in-person and virtual interviews were available in future years. Conclusions: Anesthesiology programs overwhelmingly acknowledge the value of virtual open houses and social media engagement, even thought some appear reluctant to embrace virtual interviews permanently. This data suggests programs will continue to promote their virtual profile to recruit prospective applicants and be receptive to creative solutions in light of global health uncertainty.