The American Board of Medical Specialties recently mandated that its members enact parental leave policies, but how does radiology’s response compare to other branches of medicine?
Radiologist Kirti Magudia, MD, PhD, and colleagues recently set out to explore this question and found widespread compliance, according to new research in JAMA. All 23 boards with training pathways of two years or longer adhered to the mandate with varying levels of generosity. That includes the American Board of Radiology, which in June granted an average of eight weeks of “time off” each year for any reason, including parental or medical leave.
Magudia believes such policies are crucial as the specialty looks to alleviate burnout.
“Given that the extended training of many residents and fellows coincides with childbearing years, the availability of family, caregiver and medical leave is essential to support the next generation of physicians,” Magudia, an assistant professor and radiology attending at Duke University Medical Center, said in a statement. “Ensuring that allowable parental, caregiver or medical leave does not deplete vacation time is a critical aspect to leave policies that will promote professional and personal well-being.”
For their Nov. 9 research letter, Magudia et al. analyzed leave policies posted publicly on each member board’s website and followed up via email to verify their work. Boards were deemed “adherent” if they offer a minimum six weeks of leave alongside additional vacation time.
Three board policies (or 13%) did not specifically mention parental, caregiver or medical leave. Ten (43%) set max limits on leave each year, with a median of eight weeks and range of 6 to 24. About 91%, or 21 boards, set limits over the entire duration of training, with one board only stipulating minimum leave requirements. Four boards did not have a policy in 2018 prior to the mandate, and 15 (65%) increased the maximum allowable time. Magudia and colleagues calculated an average annualized leave allowed at 7.5 weeks (with a range of 3-24) this year compared to about 5.2 weeks before the American Board of Medical specialties' policy (4-8 week range).
“The ABMS’ leave mandate and resultant board policy updates are important steps forward but also demonstrate the need for continued attention, evaluation and innovation,” the authors concluded. “Future studies should assess the effect of current policies on actual parental, caregiver, and medical leave taken, trainee well-being, milestones attainment, and timing of graduation and initial certification.”
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Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.