Parenthood Among Orthopedic Surgery Residents: Assessment of Resident and Program Director Perceptions on Training

Orthopedic residency training overlaps with common childbearing ages. The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting male and female residents' family-planning decisions and attitudes of program directors (PDs) toward parenthood during residency. In 2018, using an anonymous survey model, residents and PDs in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited orthopedic surgery programs were asked about their perceptions of parenthood on training, the availability of family-oriented services at their programs, and the effect of residency culture and policies on their decision to have children. This survey occurred in 2018. Three hundred forty-nine (76.2%) of 458 resident respondents were male and 109 (23.8%) were female. Two hundred four (49.9%) of 409 residents were unsure of their program's parental leave policy. Male residents reported taking an average of 0.8 weeks (95% CI, 0.0-4.0 weeks) of parental leave and females an average of 4.6 weeks (95% CI, 2.0-6.5 weeks) (P<.001). Female residents were more likely to report delaying having children during residency (56.73% vs 38.71%, P=.001) and were more likely to cite reputational concerns (57.63% vs 0.76%, P<.001) and effects on career opportunities (42.37% vs 7.57%, P<.001) as reasons for delaying parenthood. The most commonly cited negative effect of parenthood on residency training by PDs was reduction in off-duty educational time (15 of 29, 51.72%). Twenty-four (80%) of 30 PDs believe that training may need to be extended based on amount of maternity/paternity leave time taken off. Although parenthood during orthopedic training is common, both male and female residents reported delaying parenthood because of residency-related factors. Improved clarification of leave policies and establishment of clear guidelines for parenthood in residency may improve resident wellness.

Automated summary

This study found that both male and female orthopedic residents are influenced by factors such as unclear leave policies, reputational concerns, and worries about career opportunities when considering parenthood. Male residents are more likely to be unsure of their program's parental leave policy compared to female residents.