Social media has had two dramatic effects on the daily life of plastic surgeons: 1) We now communicate in “real time,” and many find it hard to “shut down” for more than just a few minutes each day. With products increasing the mobility of technology, such as the “shower case” that allows you to bring your cell phone into the shower, you never have to log off. 2) The expectation of 24/7 availability causes unavoidable stress.
Recently, plastic surgery residency programs have begun to utilize social media, in particular Instagram, which has shown meteoric growth among residents. A recently accepted article in Aesthetic Surgery Journal by Chandawarkar and colleagues indicates that the use of social media among residents has many benefits and may increase a trainee’s influence.
