The Role of Academic Social Media in Talent Attraction and Gender Equity in Medical Physics at UFG
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29384/rbfm.2026.v20.19849001906Keywords:
Medical Physics, Social Media, Science Communication, Career Choice, Gender EquityAbstract
This study investigates the association between digital science communication and talent attraction, career literacy, and gender equity within the Medical Physics program at the Institute of Physics of the Federal University of Goiás (IF/UFG). Adopting a descriptive-analytical quantitative approach, an institutional population census (N = 134 active students in the program / N = 525 in IF/UFG) was combined with a directed field survey (N = 72 active students) and analytics from Meta Business Suite regarding the Academic League of Medical Physics (LAFISMED) Instagram account (annual reach of 45.7k unique accounts and 387.8k views). To eliminate Instagram self-selection bias, survey recruitment was conducted exclusively through SIGAA and WhatsApp. Statistical analysis included exact binomial tests for cohort enrollment proportions and Mann–Whitney U tests for ordinal gender comparisons. Results demonstrate that Medical Physics functions as the primary diversity hub at IF/UFG, achieving gender parity (52.24% female students, n = 70/134) and increasing overall female representation at the Institute of Physics from 28.13% to 34.29%. Recent cohorts exhibit a statistically significant influx of female entrants (53.6% in 2025, p = 0.0055; 73.3% in 2026, p < 0.001). Digital educational authority was validated by 95.8% of surveyed students (69/72). A statistically significant gender disparity emerged in reported digital influence: 51.3% of female respondents affirmed that social media content influenced their enrollment decision, compared with 28.1% of male respondents (p < 0.05). In conclusion, peer-mediated digital communication serves as a complementary vector for career visibility, reducing occupational uncertainty, and supporting virtual onboarding, effectively lowering symbolic entry barriers in Medical Physics. As an observational single-institution case study, digital outreach acts alongside high school guidance (34.0%) and family orientation (10.0%). Sustainable gender equity requires pairing entry-level attraction with institutional retention strategies to address the 'leaky pipeline' into senior clinical and academic leadership roles.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sthefany Lauriene Bortolotti, Laísa Vieira dos Santos, Ana Carolina Ribeiro dos Santos, Jonas Oliveira da Silva, Emerson Nobuyuki Itikawa
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