22. PARENTHOOD DURING RESIDENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY BENEFITS

Background Pediatric residents have many roles beyond their training, including parenthood. Little is known about residents who have a child during training and importance of family-friendly benefits in programs and future jobs. Objective Examine experiences of pediatric residents with children during training and importance of family-friendly benefits in residency programs and post-graduate job selection. Methods A random sample of 1000 US residency graduates were surveyed as part of the 2019 AAP Annual Survey of Graduating Residents and asked about children, family-friendly residency benefits and their importance in program selection and future jobs. Chi-square analyses compared responses by the presence of children and by gender. Results 504 (51%) responded; 74% were female. 123 residents (25%) had children; 85% of these had or adopted a child during training. Most programs offered maternity leave (77%), lactation rooms (76%), and electives allowing new parents to stay home longer (64%). Among female residents who birthed or adopted a child during residency, 84% used maternity leave with a mean length of 7 weeks for women and 2 weeks for men. 73% of women and 100% of men were paid for their entire leave. 89% of women and 23% of men used some or all their vacation time. Less than 50% of all residents rated these benefits as very important in program selection; flexibility for time off was rated as very important by 46% of women with children, 44% of men with children, and 31% of residents without children (p Conclusion 25% of residents have a child by the end of residency, with most doing so during residency. Most programs offer benefits for parents. Parental status plays a role in residency program and future job choice and may be a factor in recruiting trainees.