533 - A Qualitative Study of Physician Trainee Experiences with Pregnancy and Parenthood
Sunday, April 30, 2023
3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET
Poster Number: 533 Publication Number: 533.324
Sophia Rifkin, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Maia Taft, UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Benjamin G. Miller, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Traci M. Kazmerski, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Eleanor A. Sharp, UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Resident Physician UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Background: 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 child-bearing and parenting during training. Objective: To explore physician trainee experiences with pregnancy and parenthood to inform policies and strengthen support for physicians-in-training. Design/Methods: We interviewed trainee parents at a large GME institution using structured interviews conducted virtually and transcribed anonymously. We identified potential participants from a compiled list of interested individuals based on a prior quantitative survey conducted at our institution. We independently coded interview transcripts and used inductive and deductive analysis to identify key themes and representative quotations. Results: We interviewed 28 participants (mean age 32.6 ± 2.77 years, 82% women, 29% surgical specialty) and identified five major themes: 1) The timeline of medical and surgical training creates unique challenges for family planning, including those related to parental age, infertility/miscarriage, and geographic limitations for partner/family support; 2) Trainee parents and their children 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 inherent to medical and surgical training poses challenges to meeting breastfeeding goals; and 5) Trainee parents report inadequate and unreliable childcare exacerbated by COVID pandemic, with concerns related to limited availability, cost, and lack of back-up childcare options.
Conclusion(s): 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, onsite daycare, and stipends for childcare/breast pumps. These results have important implications for institutional policies and to promote trainee parent wellness.
