BackgroundWith the exponential increase in digital space of social media platforms, a new group called social media influencers are driving online content of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which eventually influences behaviour and decision-making process. The objective of this study was to identify the top 100 social media (Twitter) influencers and organizations from across the globe who are advocating for PCOS. We further explored the origin and journey of these social media influencers.MethodsWe identified the top 100 PCOS influencers and organizations between July and August 2022 using three social network analysis tools- Cronycle, Symplur and SocioViz. These influencers were invited to a semi-structured interview to explore why they chose to become an influencer and the support they have to deliver their online content. Two independent authors coded the anonymised transcripts from these interviews and broad themes were identified by thematic inductive analysis.Results95.0% of individual influencers and 80% of organisations are from high-income countries. Most influencers in our study agree that social media is an essential tool in the present day to raise awareness of PCOS. However, they reiterated social media also has significant disadvantages that require consideration and caution. Most influencers were driven by poor personal experience and worked voluntarily to reduce misinformation and improve the experiences of women diagnosed with PCOS in the future. Although there is an interest in working together, there is currently minimal collaborative work between influencers.ConclusionThere is a global inequity of #PCOS influencers online. Establishing standards and support based on evidence may help develop more influencers, especially in low- and middle-income countries, so we can counter misinformation and provide locally acceptable guidance.

To evaluate the status of UK undergraduate urology teaching against the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Undergraduate Syllabus for Urology. Secondary objectives included evaluating the type and quantity of teaching provided, the reported performance rate of General Medical Council (GMC)-mandated urological procedures, and the proportion of undergraduates considering urology as a career. Subjects and MethodsThe uroLogical tEAching in bRitish medical schools Nationally (LEARN) study was a national multicentre cross-sectional evaluation. Year 2 to Year 5 medical students and Foundation Year (FY) 1 doctors were invited to complete a survey between 3 October and 20 December 2020, retrospectively assessing the urology teaching received to date. Results are reported according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). ResultsIn all, 7063/8346 (84.6%) responses from all 39 UK medical schools were included; 1127/7063 (16.0%) were from FY1 doctors who reported that the most frequently taught topics in undergraduate training were on urinary tract infection (96.5%), acute kidney injury (95.9%) and haematuria (94.4%). The most infrequently taught topics were male urinary incontinence (59.4%), male infertility (52.4%) and erectile dysfunction (43.8%). Male and female catheterisation on patients as undergraduates was performed by 92.1% and 73.0% of FY1 doctors respectively, and 16.9% had considered a career in urology. Theory-based teaching was mainly prevalent in the early years of medical school, with clinical skills teaching, and

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Applying to core surgical training has always been a competitive and ambitious path with many applicants reaching out to expensive courses or literature to guide them through the application process. The COVID-19 outbreak heightened the difficulty and severed connections to previous support tools for foundation doctors interested in pursuing a surgical career during the pandemic. In the East Midlands, we identified this weakness and aimed to create a conduit to support our trainees through their application process.The Surgical Buddies Scheme was created in September 2020. This scheme involved connecting current Core Surgical Trainees (CST) doctors with keen Foundation doctors interested in applying to CST. The intermediary, buddy scheme organisers matched juniors with the tutors based on shared interest and location.26 foundation doctors (FY) joined the scheme across seven sites. The FY two doctors were given priority and were matched up with 22 CST doctors. Feedback forms were distributed to collect qualitative and quantitative data regarding their participation. The Feedback summary forms showed that the most common used contact platform was zoom (35.7%) and texting for additional support (35.7%). The average hours of contact spent were 4.2 hours. The qualitative feedback data from the FY doctors showed all their initial pre-scheme objectives were met.Effective leadership led to the initializing and distribution of a Buddy network system to offer a one-to-one contact between applicant and tutor. The initiative of the original scheme led to a large team of tutor collectively supporting and guiding our cohort of applicants.The success of the scheme was recognized by the Nottingham University Hospital (NUH)NHS trust Postgraduate Medical Education Team (PMED). The scheme expanded into a specialty specific NUH Peer Support Scheme. The CST application ideology has been extended to internal medical training, Psychiatry and General Practitioner training schemes.

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