(1109) Evaluation of Parental Leave and Lactation Policies of Academic Otolaryngology Institutions

Introduction: Parental leave and lactation policies of Otolaryngology programs are presumed to vary. As more residents start families early in their careers, it becomes imperative that there are policies to support trainees in family planning. Understanding the impact of childbearing on faculty may provide insight into its impact on productivity and advancement during childbearing ages. This study's primary aim is to determine the components of parental leave policies for residents and faculty at academic otolaryngology institutions.

Methods: A comprehensive review of each program was conducted. Data was collected regarding resident and faculty parental leave and lactation policies using information available online. Measured variables of interest included time off, variations between policies by gender, geographic location, lactation resources, and formal lactation policies. Data analysis was performed using paired t-tests. This project was sponsored by a WIO Endowment Grant.

Results: Preliminary analysis included the first 55 ranked programs in the United States, 50 of which had policies available online. The average length of time for maternal resident leave was 9.82 weeks, compared to 8.27 weeks for paternal leave (p < 0.01). Full paid leave was offered by 49% of residency programs, while 43% offered partially paid leave, averaging 5.5 weeks. In contrast, faculty maternal leave was 12.19 weeks while paternal leave was 10.54 weeks (p = 0.02). Full paid leave was offered to faculty by 46% of departments, while 51% offered partially paid leave, averaging 6.1 weeks. Lactation policies were not widely established with only 47% of programs having one.

Conclusions: Discrete parental leave policies are widely available for most academic otolaryngology institutions evaluated in this study. The components of these policies do vary between programs and gender, with the average being approximately 6 weeks of paid leave for resident trainees. However, lactation policies are not widely established at these institutions and was identified as an area of improvement.