(A1005) Family Planning Resources in Surgical Residency

Introduction: It is well known that female surgeons face increased rates of fertility and family planning challenges compared to the general population. To our knowledge, no study has fully investigated family planning resources and policies available to surgical trainees at individual institutions.

Methods: A 25-question survey was developed to examine graduate medical education (GME) policies regarding parental leave, fertility and family planning, and childcare and lactation support for surgical residency trainees. GME director and coordinator emails were collected for all institutions that currently have an Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery surgical residency program. All contact information was collected from publicly accessible websites. GME director and coordinators were contacted directly and provided an individual survey link. All responses were kept anonymous.

Results: Ninety-one GME offices were provided with a survey link. Of these programs, 8 responses were received for a response rate of 9%. The number of surgical trainees at each institution ranges from 32-210. All programs offer paid parental leave for a range of 6-12 weeks for both childbearing and non-childbearing parents. 50% of institutions provide at least some coverage for fertility treatments. A single institution provides on-site childcare options for surgical trainees. 85% of responding institutions provide dedicated lactation rooms and protected time for lactating surgical trainees. 50% of responding institutions offer family planning education or resources.

Conclusions: Family planning resources available to surgical residency trainees vary by institution. There is a need to better understand GME policies and available resources to identify areas for improvement.