Financial Compensation for Resident Call Coverage During Parental Leave: An Actuarial Analysis

To propose that applying actuarial methods to make recommendations for financial compensation of residents for additional call related to co-resident parental leave is 1 option for decreasing potential resentment of those burdened while also improving the wellness of those on parental leave.

Our analysis focused on a cohort of 16 urology residents at 1 institution that took call during the 2024-2025 academic year. Resident salaries were used to determine the average hourly pay rate for each residency year. With an estimated 70-hour work week, the average number of hours worked during a weeknight call (7 hours) and a weekend call (29 hours) was calculated. This calculation was used to determine the total resident compensation needed to cover a 6-week parental leave for 1 resident per year.

Assuming a 70-hour work week, 1 weeknight call was calculated to be equivalent to $275 and $247 for a junior and chief resident, respectively. Similarly, 1 weekend of call was calculated to be $1710 and $1364 for a junior and chief resident, respectively. The estimated total cost to pay 1 junior resident and 1 chief resident to cover co-resident call for 6 weeks of parental leave is $7743 per year, comprised of $4216 for junior resident call and $3527 for chief resident call (2024 dollars).

At our institution, $7743 per year would reliably cover the costs of compensating residents for additional call burden during a co-resident's 6-week parental leave. Availability of such funds could reduce the anxiety associated with parental leave during training.