PURPOSE
To determine if level of exposure disparities prompted by social media use
lead to higher rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and burnout in
international medical graduates from the Caribbean compared to U.S. medical
students (both MD and DO programs)
 
METHODS
Third- and fourth-year students and PGY-1 residents from Caribbean schools
and U.S. MD/DO programs will complete a cross-sectional online survey using
the MBI, PHQ-9, GAD-7, and the MLCS to assess mental health and social-media
comparison. Regression analyses will compare pathways while adjusting for
debt, visa status, family separation, and match anxiety. Recruitment occurs
via IRB-approved emails and listservs, with data collection from
December–March 2026.
RESULTS
Caribbean trainees are expected to report higher PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSS-10, and
burnout scores compared with U.S. trainees. Greater social-media use and
upward comparison are anticipated to correlate with worse mental-health
measures across groups. These findings will describe associations only,
without implying causation.
 
CONCLUSIONS
This study is among the first investigations into the impact of social media
on psychological well-being across various medical training pathways. The
findings may help create personalized wellness plans for international
medical graduates, encourage more careful professional use of digital
platforms, and help shape well-being policies in other countries and U.S.
institutions. This results will be useful for educators and policy makers.