Baby Fever: Examining Parental Leave Policies and Pregnancy Accommodations on Emergency Medicine (EM) Residency and Graduate Medical Education (GME) Websites

TL;DR

This study finds that most emergency medicine residency websites do not clearly share parental leave or pregnancy accommodation policies, which could affect residents' choices.

Contribution

The study is the first to systematically evaluate the transparency of parental leave policies on EM residency and GME websites.

Findings

Only 10.2% of EM program websites provided parental leave information.

Larger and older programs were more likely to include such information.

About 37.5% of programs had no relevant information on either their or affiliated GME websites.

Abstract

Introduction: Parental leave (PL) and maternity policies are important considerations that can influence prospective residents' selection of emergency medicine (EM) residency programs, yet little research has explored their transparency on program websites, often the first contact point for applicants. Accessibility is vital as policies vary widely, and related inquiries have been traditionally stigmatized. This study aimed to evaluate the availability of PL and pregnancy accommodation information provided on the websites of EM residency programs and affiliated graduate medical education (GME) sites.

Methods: Descriptive statistics were collected from 285 EM program websites and their affiliated GME websites in July 2024. Chi-square tests assessed whether PL information availability was associated with program director sex, program size, or program age.

Results: Twenty-nine program websites (10.2%) contained PL information: 16 (5.6%) detailed specific policies, and 13 (4.6%) mentioned leave. Two (0.7%) detailed specific accommodations for pregnant residents. Sixty-two program websites (21.8%) linked to a GME website containing leave information. On GME websites, 149 programs (52.3%) had PL information; 94 provided details about compensation and leave length. About 130 programs (37.5%) had no relevant information available on either site. Larger (>11 annual positions) and older (est. 2010 or earlier) programs were more likely to provide PL information (χ² (1, N = 285) = 5.91, p = 0.015; χ² (1, N = 285) = 5.95, p = 0.015)). We found no significant association between program director sex, program length, or program region and the presence of PL information on EM program or GME websites.

Conclusion: Our findings reveal significant gaps in the availability of PL and pregnancy accommodation information across EM and GME program websites, underscoring the necessity for all medical specialties to improve transparency and accessibility. Providing clear and reliable information is crucial to support prospective residents who may be hesitant to inquire about these policies during interviews. Enhancing these resources will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive training environment, ultimately benefiting both residents and program leadership.

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