Parental Leave in Neurosurgery: A US Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neurosurgery
• Workplace Policy

Background:

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandated a minimum of 6 weeks parental leave for residents in July 2022.
• Implementation and impact of this policy in neurosurgery remain unstudied.
• This study addresses the need to understand parental leave utilization in neurosurgery programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if institutions have parental leave policies.
• To quantify Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and total parental leave (TPL) utilized by neurosurgeons.
• To assess career satisfaction and demographic factors related to parental leave.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to neurosurgeons (residents and faculty) in ACGME-accredited programs.
• Data collected included demographics, parental leave experience, and career satisfaction.
• Statistical analyses included Pearson's correlation, Shapiro-Wilks test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Main Results:

• 147 neurosurgeons responded (15.7% response rate); 72.2% were female, 73% married.
• Female neurosurgeons took more TPL (average 7.7-9.0 weeks) and FMLA (average 6.0-6.8 weeks) than males (average 2.0-2.1 weeks TPL, 1.5-1.6 weeks FMLA).
• A significant discrepancy exists between leadership's perception of resident leave and actual FMLA/TPL taken (P < .004). Age correlated with TPL (Pearson's R -0.307, P = .009).

Conclusions:

• Neurosurgery professionals generally took less parental leave than the 6-week minimum.
• Department leadership overestimated the amount of parental leave residents utilized.
• There is a clear opportunity to enhance support for parental leave within neurosurgery programs.