General Surgery Residency Applicants’ Perspective on Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

•COVID-19 significantly impacted the 2020/2021 residency application cycle•Away rotations and in-person interviews were previously the most effective way for applicants to learn about programs•During the COVID-19 pandemic residency programs have increased their social media influence to provide information for prospective applicants•During the 2020/2021 application cycle, the majority of applicants used social media to inform them about prospective general surgery programs.•Twitter, Instagram, and official program websites are among the most utilized.•Investing resources into residency social media accounts is a meaningful pursuit in today's recruitment process.