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Published Editorial - Family/Medical Leave for Residents

Carolynn DeBenedectis, MD - Radiology Vice Chair of Education - UMass Chan Medical School
Carolynn DeBenedectis, MD

Carolynn DeBenedectis, MD, Radiology Vice Chair for Education and Director of the Radiology Residency Program helped author this manuscript and get Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) support. Dr. DeBenedectis presented the papers and proposed policy to the American Board of Radiology (ABR) president and the ABR Board of Governors on behalf of the APDR. It was instrumental in getting the ABR to change their parental leave policy for residents from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. PDF In Press article.

Editorial
Family/Medical Leave for Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Radiation Oncology Residents in the United States: A Policy Opportunity

Authors: Kirti Magudia, Thomas S. C. Ng, Shauna R. Campbell, Patricia Balthazar, Elizabeth H. Dibble, Comron J. Hassanzadeh, Neil Lall, Emily C. Merfeld, Shadi A. Esfahani, Rachel B. Jimenez, Emma C. Fields, Johnson B. Lightfoote, Susan J. Ackerman1, Elizabeth B. Jeans, Meridith J. Englander, Carolynn M. DeBenedectis, Kristin K. Porter, Lucy B. Spalluto, Lori A. Deitte, Reshma Jagsi, Elizabeth K. Arleo

Published Online:Apr 13 2021, Radiology, https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2021210798

Excerpt:

Dear ABR,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments regarding Feedback on Residency Service-Time Requirement. We believe that we share the goal of optimizing both the training of competent clinicians worthy of public trust as well as professional well-being and diversity.

To promote transparent discourse and for a broader audience to consider the multi-faceted nuanced issues pertaining to family/medical leave considerations within the context of Residency Service-Time Requirement policies for DR, IR and RO residents, our full comments have been published by RADIOLOGY in an Editorial Opinion titled “Family/Medical Leave for United States Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Radiation Oncology Residents: A Policy Opportunity.”* This piece has been officially endorsed by the following organizations: 

    • American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) Board of Directors, Executive Board 
    • American College of Radiology (ACR), Young and Early Career Professional Section 
    • American Alliance of Academic Chief Residents in Radiology (A3CR2), Executive Committee 
    • Association for Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP)
    • American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), Resident Committee
    • Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO), Executive Committee
    • Society for Women in Radiation Oncology (SWRO), Executive Board
    • American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) Members-in-Training Committee

In brief, "in the spirit of the FMLA and compatible with the AAP, SCARD and APDR statements in support of 12 weeks of parental leave," this piece proposes "that the ABR policy allows a resident who is in compliance with clinical competency and Initial Certification requirements as well as is in good standing within their program to:  

    1. Take 12 weeks of family/medical leave during the course of residency (in addition to 4 weeks of vacation per year), while still remaining eligible to both sit for the Core/Qualifying Examinations and to graduate without extension of training.  

    1. Take additional family/medical leave if approved by the program director without extension of training (to be considered on a case by case basis), in keeping with the ABR Initial Certification requirements and Leaves of Absence policy currently in place." 

April 2021