(Poster 159) AUGS Fellowship Showcase: Two-year Update

Objectives: The 2020 shift to virtual interviews for OB-GYN residency applicants has shaped the expectations of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS) Fellowship applicants, who have transitioned to virtual platforms. To provide accessible, up-to-date information, residency and fellowship programs have increasingly utilized social media. Fellowship programs are encouraged to share program information, culture, and values without in-person visits. In 2023, the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) organized a social-media-based virtual Fellowship Showcase to help programs and applicants interface before application season. The second annual, “AUGS Fellowship Showcase” took place in November 2024. The showcase featured fellow and faculty highlights, curriculum, rotations, research, advocacy, and interprofessional activities. This study evaluates the outcomes of the Showcase and examines participation by programs.

Methods: To engage stakeholders, the Fellowship Showcase was presented to the AUGS Fellowship Committee and fellowship faculty at the AUGS PFD Week 2024. The social media committee created a guide to instruct programs on the schedule for topics for each day of the Showcase. Using the AUGS Instagram account, programs and applicants were invited to participate from November 11 - 15th 2024. Previously, a database of URPS Fellowships was created using The American Medical Association Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA). One author systematically searched Instagram via the search feature for program profiles using the program name with the following algorithm: “Program Name + urogynecology”, “Program Name + URPS”, “Program Name + Urogyn” and updated the database as of April 2025. Data was collected by reviewing URPS program social media accounts.

Results: Prior to the AUGS Fellowship Showcase in 2023 there were 12 Instagram accounts associated with URPS Fellowship Programs, which increased to 37 following the 2024 Showcase (Table 1). Most accounts are currently in the Midwest (21.6%) and Northeast (35.1%), with increased representation in all regions. University-based programs (78.4%) comprise the majority of social media presence; however, increased representation for all program types was noted (Table 1). The majority of programs now participate in the AUGS Fellowship Showcase (n = 37, 56%) with 18 programs participating in 2023 and 2024. All programs posted about fellows, faculty, and conferences. Twenty-one programs highlighted faculty national prestige through awards, appointments, or honors. Of these programs, the majority were University-based (n=15, 71.4%). The 2024 Fellowship Showcase schedule post received 1507 Impressions (972 in 2023) (Figure 1).

Conclusions: The AUGS Fellowship Showcase successfully engaged the majority of URPS Fellowship programs, enhancing the social media engagement of both programs and applicants. While regional and program-type representation grew, further efforts are needed to engage community-based programs and those in the Southwest and West. This study demonstrates the continued success of a national, social media-driven fellowship showcase over two years, offering a model for other specialties during the virtual match process.

Figure 1: 1n (%), URPS program numbers: 2024 n = 66, 2023 n = 59