heaterBack to work MD - Experiences of internal medicine physicians returning to work after parental leave
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Background
Parenthood in medicine is an experience fraught with challenges that begin in the pre-conception phase and persist as physician-parents navigate their dual role.
Methods
This study aims to understand the experiences of physician-parents (both childbearing and non-childbearing) returning to work after parental leave. Physicians, including residents, affiliated with the University of Toronto’s Department of Medicine internal medicine division who had a child within the last ten years were invited to participate in a self-administered electronic survey from June2022 to 30June 2023. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics.
Results
Twenty-nine respondents took part in the survey; 79% were staff physicians while the remaining were trainees at the time of the survey. At the time their first child was born, 48% were staff members and 52% were trainees. The median duration of parental leave was 5 months (range 1-12 months). Among those for whom lactation was applicable, 76% reported that they continued their lactation efforts on returning to work, while 24% chose not to. Thirty five percent (35%, n =6/17) of respondents cited that they were not provided with duty hour modifications when required. Many respondents (46%) felt guilty about burdening their co-workers for requesting accommodations for childcare. When requested to rate their experiences of balancing their personal and professional lives on a scale of 1-10 (1 being “impossible to maintain” and 10 being “extremely easy to maintain”), most respondents (66%) chose a rating of 5 or less.
Conclusion
This study supports previous findings that physician-parents face a myriad of challenges integrating their roles in medicine and parenthood. A change in culture is required to support and normalize parenthood for physicians and foster sustainability and productivity in academic medicine.
