Surgeon Experience with Parental Leave Policies Varies Based on Practice Setting

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Surgical practice
• Workplace policy

Background:

• Increasing numbers of female surgeons necessitate examination of parental leave policies.
• Significant variability exists in parental leave policies across different surgical practice settings.
• Workplace expectations may lead to differing parental leave experiences for academic versus private practice surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the parental leave experiences of female surgeons in academic and private practice settings in the USA.
• To identify disparities in paid leave, benefits continuation, and return-to-work pressures between academic and private practice surgeons.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 25 questions was distributed to attending surgeons in the USA.
• Data collection occurred via social media platforms from June 1 to September 15, 2017.
• Analysis focused on comparing experiences of surgeons in academic versus private practice settings.

Main Results:

• Private practice surgeons were less likely to have paid leave and more likely to continue benefits during leave compared to academic surgeons.
• Private practitioners reported returning to work sooner than desired due to financial and supervisor pressures, and were more likely to leave their jobs.
• Academic surgeons were more likely to experience delays in job advancement.
• Multiple pregnancies correlated with a higher perception of workplace bias and discrimination.

Conclusions:

• Parental leave policies and associated attitudes differ significantly between academic and private surgical practices.
• These variations create distinct challenges for female surgeons regarding family planning and career progression based on their employment model.