Bridging the Gap: Social Media as an Untapped Tool in Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship Recruitment

INTRODUCTION: Social media has become an important tool for medical education and residency recruitment; however, its utilization among orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, activity, and characteristics of social media utilization among orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs. METHODS: A list of accredited orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs were obtained from the Orthopaedic Trauma Association website. Fellowship-specific social media on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, and LinkedIn were identified using systematic Google and platform-specific searches conducted between August and September 2025. Identified accounts were evaluated for platform type, activity status, content characteristics, and engagement metrics. RESULTS: Of 68 orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs identified, 6 (9%) maintained a fellowship-specific social media account. Five programs (7%) had Instagram accounts, and one program (1%) had a Twitter/X account; no accounts were identified on Facebook or LinkedIn. Three (60%) of the Instagram accounts identified were active within the past month, representing 4% of all accredited orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs. Engagement among active Instagram accounts was substantial, with total likes exceeding 4,000 for regularly posting programs, average likes per post ranging from approximately 380 to 442, and consistent comment activity. All Instagram accounts shared deidentified case-based content, whereas none provided fellowship recruitment or application-specific information. CONCLUSION: Fellowship-specific social media use among orthopaedic trauma fellowship programs is uncommon and inconsistently maintained. Leveraging this untapped resource could expand program visibility, offer applicants meaningful insight into case complexity, training experiences, and strengthen recruitment in an increasingly competitive subspecialty.