A qualitative study of physician trainee experiences with pregnancy and parenthood

Graduate medical education policies surrounding parental leave, lactation support, and childcare resources vary widely. Limited studies focus on the perceptions of residents and fellows regarding childbearing and parenting during training.

To explore physician trainee experiences with pregnancy and parenthood to inform policies and strengthen support for physicians-in-training.

We interviewed trainee parents between May and June 2022 at a large institution using structured interviews conducted virtually, transcribed, and deidentified. We independently coded interview transcripts and used inductive and deductive analysis to identify key themes and representative quotations.

We interviewed 28 participants (mean age 32.6 (2.8) years, 23 [82%] women, 5 [29%] surgical specialty) and identified five major themes: (1) The timeline of training creates unique challenges for family planning, related to parental age, infertility/miscarriage, and geographic limitations for partner/family support; (2) Trainee parents rely on support from their partner, extended family, and friends/co-trainees; (3) Trainee parents report misinformation and lack of transparency with parental leave policies; (4) The work environment poses significant challenges to meeting breastfeeding goals; and (5) Trainee parents report inadequate and unreliable childcare, related to limited availability, cost, and lack of back-up childcare options.

Trainee parents face unique challenges related to pregnancy and raising a family during their graduate medical education. Trainees would benefit from improved communication related to parental leave policies, breastfeeding education for faculty, on-site childcare, and stipends for childcare/breast pumps. These results have important implications for institutional policies and reveal additional opportunities to promote trainee parents' wellness.