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  • Impact of Parental Leave on Residents’ Performance

    By Jean Shaw
    Selected and reviewed by Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
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    Journal Highlights

    JAMA Ophthalmology, November 2022

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    Huh et al. examined the impact of parental leave on the performance of residents at 10 U.S. ophthalmology programs. They found no difference in performance metrics between those who took parental leave and those who didn’t.

    For this analysis, the researchers assessed deidentified information of all residents (N = 283) who graduated from the programs between 2015 and 2019. This included data on duration of parental leave, other types of leave, and whether a resident had an extension of learning. Primary outcomes were measures of resident performance on the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) scores, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Edu­cation (ACGME) milestones scores, board examination pass rates, research activity, and surgical volumes.

    Of the 283 residents, 15.5% (n = 44) took a median parental leave of 4.5 weeks (range, 2-6). Those who pursued fellowship training were less likely to take parental leave (OR, .43; 95% CI, .27-.68; p <.001). In contrast, those who practiced in private settings fol­lowing their residency were more likely to do so (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.79-7.08; p <.001). Only two residents extend­ed their training (and only one used parental leave). When stratified by sex, female residents tended to take longer leave (median, 6 weeks) than did their male counterparts (median, 2 weeks).

    No differences in average OKAP percentiles, research activity, average ACGME milestones scores, or surgical volume emerged between those who took parental leave and those who didn’t—and following residency, the two groups showed no differences in whether they passed their written or oral board examinations on their first attempt.

    In their discussion, the authors noted that the data were obtained from programs that are mainly research institutions and led by program direc­tors willing to participate in the study. They added that they believe that it is essential that “program and institution leaders continue active discussions on establishing consistent and transparent parental leave policies and strategizing ways to reduce burden on residents.”

    The original article can be found here.