Family medicine
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Online publication of prereviewed manuscripts disseminates research simultaneously to scientists, clinicians, and patients, enabling the media and public to act as scientific reviewers for studies that are not yet endorsed by the scientific and clinical community. This study describes the reach of prereview literature and frames it within the pursuit to teach evidence-based medicine. ⋯ Results demonstrate that not only are scientists publishing negative findings, but that those studies reach a wide audience. Notably, eventually-withdrawn manuscripts, potentially containing incomplete or uncertain science, is reaching the public domain. Increasingly, family physicians will need to critically appraise emerging literature before it is peer reviewed, whether they encounter it in their own searches or when a patient presents information they found before an appointment.
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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant changes to the US residency application process for medical school graduates. Due to the lack of in-person activities, family medicine programs have utilized various social media platforms to connect with their applicants. In this paper, we describe how family medicine residency programs have adapted for the 2021 application cycle by using social media platforms. ⋯ Family medicine residency programs have adapted to the challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing social media outreach, particularly through Instagram. This has allowed residency programs to virtually communicate with prospective applicants during an unprecedented application cycle.