Influenced: Exploring the Effect of Social Media on Medical Students’ Perceptions of Plastic Surgery

Background: Medical students rarely receive dedicated education in plastic surgery, exposing them to influence from the internet or television programming that is frequently skewed toward cosmetic procedures. Additionally, social media posts from board-certified plastic surgeons make up a small portion of available content. These biased representations may impact students’ perceptions, narrowing the scope of referrals and limiting career exploration. Methods: Medical students at two academic medical centers were surveyed. Blinded data were collected on exposure to plastic surgery, social media usage, observed content, and perceptions of the specialty. Students’ understanding of plastic surgery was evaluated using clinical scenarios. Results: The response rate was 24.3%. Social media and television were the primary contributors to understanding of plastic surgery in 51.6% of students, especially for those who had not completed a surgical clerkship ( P < 0.026). Students most frequently viewed plastic surgery content posted by influencers (28.1%), followed by board-certified plastic surgeons (24.1%), patients (21.2%), and nonplastic surgeon physicians (19.7%). Posts relating to cosmetic procedures (44.3%) were viewed most frequently. Students who followed board-certified plastic surgeons performed better when answering clinical vignettes (64.8% versus 50.9%). Conclusions: Social media and television play a significant role in medical students’ perceptions of plastic surgery. Students are also more likely to see posts from influencers than board-certified plastic surgeons, furthering potential bias. Quality content from board-certified surgeons and professional societies may improve scope of practice creep and student interest.