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Correlation Between Gender of Department Chairs and Paid Parental Leave Benefits in Academic Dermatology Residency
Karen Rofaeel1, Jeffrey Ding1, Marissa Joseph2
1Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CAN.
Background:
Although the number of women entering dermatology residency programs is increasing, they still encounter numerous challenges and disparities, including limited career opportunities and difficulties in balancing family planning with their professional lives. Parental leave policies have been recognized for their positive impact on maternal, fetal, and familial well-being, career satisfaction, and gender equality. However, negative perceptions and a lack of awareness surrounding these policies may discourage female residents from taking parental leave during training. This study investigates the relationship between the gender of department chairs and the advertisement of paid parental leave policies in dermatology residency programs.
Methods:
Data from the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA Online) and the Canadian Residency Match System (CaRMS) were utilized to identify accredited residency programs in the USA and Canada, respectively. Manual searches for gender of department chairs and parental leave policies in dermatology programs were performed between December 2021 and January 2022.
Results:
Out of the 146 programs in the USA and 10 in Canada, most department chairs were male. Only 9.6% of programs, all from the USA, explicitly advertised paid parental leave policies specific to dermatology residents. There was a significant correlation between the gender of the department chair and the presence of specific policies, which was only observed in the northeastern region of the USA.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the lack of advertised parental leave policies in dermatology residency programs and potential barriers preventing access to this crucial information. Lack of clear policies and negative perceptions may deter female residents from considering childbearing during their training or hinder them from taking parental leave when needed. Future research should explore program-specific reasons for policy advertising or omission and their perception by applicants and current residents.
