Association Between Parental Leave and Ophthalmology Resident Physician Performance

Abstract

ImportanceAlthough parental leave is essential in enhancing resident wellness and fostering inclusive workplace environments, residents may often feel discouraged from using parental leave owing to perceived stigma and concerns about possible negative effects on their training.ObjectiveTo examine parental leave usage across multiple institutions and compare residency performance metrics between residents who took parental leave vs their peers who did not take leave.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis conducted from April 1, 2020, to July 28, 2022, of educational records. Multicenter data were obtained from 10 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited ophthalmology programs across the US. Included ophthalmology residents graduated between 2015 and 2019. Data were analyzed from August 15, 2021, to July 25, 2022.ExposuresPerformance metrics of residents who used parental leave during residency were compared with those of residents who did not take parental leave.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMeasures of performance included the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) scores, ACGME milestones scores, board examination pass rates, research activity, and surgical volumes.ResultsOf the 283 ophthalmology residents (149 male [52.7%]) included in the study, 44 (15.5%) took a median (IQR) parental leave of 4.5 (2-6) weeks. There were no differences in average OKAP percentiles, research activity, average ACGME milestones scores, or surgical volume between residents who took parental leave and those who did not. Residents who pursued fellowship were less likely to have taken parental leave (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.68; P < .001), and residents who practiced in private settings after residency were more likely to have taken parental leave (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.79-7.08; P < .001). When stratified by sex, no differences were identified in performance between female residents who took parental leave compared with residents who did not take leave, except a mild surgical number difference in 1 subspecialty category of keratorefractive procedures (difference in median values, −2; 95% CI, −3.7 to −0.3; P = .03).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this multicenter cross-sectional study, no differences in performance metrics were identified between residents taking parental leave compared with their peers. These findings may provide reassurance to trainees and program directors regarding the unlikelihood, on average, that taking adequate parental leave will affect performance metrics adversely.

Gender Representation on North American Ophthalmology Societies' Governance Boards

“…33 While the m-quotient does not account for parental leave, a study of ophthalmology residents in the United States found no significant differences in parental leave duration by gender. 34 In our study, a sevenfold increase in the proportion of women was found when comparing periods 1942 to 1961 and 2002 to 2021. Meanwhile, from 1938 to 1997, no more than one women board president was found among all Canadian and American societies analyzed.…”

Barriers to increasing paid parental leave in U.S. neurology residencies: a survey of program directors

“…A study of physical medicine and rehabilitation residents showed no difference in board certification exam passing rates among individuals who took a medical or parental leave [27]. A study of ophthalmology residents who took parental leave found no differences in average scores on standardized assessments, research activity, ACGME milestone scores, or surgical volumes [28]. Additional studies in neurology residency are needed to understand if time away from neurology residency objectively impacts clinical training.…”

Parent Penalty: Parental Leave Experiences of Trainees and Early-Career Faculty in Oncology Subspecialties

“…2,3 Use of currently available family leave, lactation support, and return-to-work resources is dismal in medicine. [4][5][6] This stems from multiple factors including traditionally inflexible schedules, expectation of long work hours, and hierarchical structures of academic medicine. 7,8 In fact, young physician parents must often use all vacation days before requesting time off after childbirth/adoption.…”