Perceptions of Parental Leave Among Ophthalmologists

Benchmarking attitudes surrounding parental leave among posttraining North American ophthalmologists may reveal possible areas for intervention.

To evaluate perceptions of current parental leave policy and culture among posttraining North American ophthalmologists.

This nonvalidated survey used a 19-item online questionnaire. A convenience sample of 186 self-identified North American-based ophthalmologists who had completed training was obtained using listservs, residency program coordinators, and social media. Data collection occurred from May to July 2022.

Descriptive analysis demonstrated response frequencies. Pearson χ2 comparison of means was performed for categorical variables. Two-tailed t tests were performed for continuous variables.

Among the 186 surveys completed, 105 respondents (56.5%) identified as female, 76 (40.9%) worked in academia, 133 (71.5%) were 1 to 20 years out of training, and 156 (83.9%) had children. Attitudes toward stop-the-clock policies, or delays in tenure/promotion/partnership review when taking leave, were mixed. Of 171 respondents, 78 (45.6%) thought that stop-the-clock policies should be optional, 39 (22.8%) thought that they should be required, and 31 (18.1%) thought that they should be removed. Of 76 academicians responding, 56 (73.7%) and 49 (64.5%) were unaware if their institution had a stop-the-clock policy for tenure review or promotion review, respectively. Male and female respondents differed in feeling comfortable with taking leave (36 of 66 [54.5%] vs 67 of 90 [74.4%], respectively; P = .04), as well as in their ratings of stress about peer perception on a scale of 0 to 10 (3.70 vs 4.81, respectively; P = .05). Private practitioners and academicians differed in confirmation of leave options for both parents (52 of 101 [51.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], respectively; P = .02) and ratings of financial stress (7.10 vs 5.43, respectively; P = .004) and research considerations (1.60 vs 3.85, respectively; P < .001).

Results of this survey study support the hypothesis that demographic factors affect attitudes toward parental leave among posttraining ophthalmologists; policies could be better publicized. Feelings regarding policies and leave were mixed. These findings should be viewed as hypothesis generating because the survey was not validated and the associations provided could be due to confounding factors.