Parental leave policies are more prevalent in radiology departments chaired by women, while female representation in such positions remains low, according to new research published Sunday.
Lack of adequate leave can adversely impact female physicians—prolonging training, curbing career paths and fostering negativity among peers. Researchers from several institutions sought to explore this concern, determining whether department chairs’ gender influences time-off policies.
They found a connection, according to research published in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology. About 69% of programs led by women offered paid parental leave benefits, versus 38% among men.
“Female gender of the department chair was associated with the increased availability of paid parental leave benefits for residents, yet females hold fewer academic leadership positions than males,” Daniel Hui, with the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia, and co-authors concluded. “Future discussions regarding parental leave policies for residents will have to consider the unique challenges in residency such as length of training and burden on co-residents,” they added.
Hui and colleagues queried the websites of 209 accredited programs to determine leave policies and their department chairs’ genders. They also geographically sorted the results to deduce regional differences. About 77% of diagnostic radiology program department chairs were male versus 23% female. Of those led by women, 69% advertised their paid parental leave policy compared to 38% among those with male leaders. Stratified by region, the gender difference remained statistically significant in the mid-Atlantic and New England.
The study had several limitations, such as its reliance on public websites that may lack up to date information, and researchers determined leaders’ gender solely through posted names and photos. Hui et al. believe beginning to address these issues could reduce childbearing-related stress among residents that disproportionately affects female residents while also attracting more women to the profession.
“Clear leave policies should be available on public websites for prospective residents so that these can be taken into consideration when choosing between programs,” the authors advised. “It is incumbent upon residency programs to examine their policies so that residents continue to be supported in improving their well-being and ultimately improving the quality of care provided to patients.”
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.