Parental Policy in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Programs Is Necessary but Not Available: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents' Attitudes Toward Parental Leave.

Purpose Guidelines regarding parental leave in oral and maxillofacial surgery do not exist. This inconsistency may contribute to gender disparities and an increase in resident burnout. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions and attitudes of oral and maxillofacial surgery residents toward parental leave. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which an anonymous 26-item questionnaire was electronically mailed to all current oral and maxillofacial surgery residents in the United States during August 2020. The survey consisted of 5 sections: 1) resident information, 2) residency program information, 3) parental policy information, 4) attitudes regarding parental leave, and 5) attitudes regarding early parenthood. Results Surveys were sent to 860 oral and maxillofacial surgery residents; 220 completed the questionnaire (25.6%). Majority of respondents were male between the ages of 26 and 30. Half of the respondents did not know whether their oral and maxillofacial surgery program had a formal parental leave policy. Almost a third of residents reported that their program did not have a policy regarding parental leave. Only some programs had a policy regarding parental leave. Most programs allotted 2 days to 2 weeks for parental leave. Parenthood did not prevent pursuit of fellowship training. The majority of co-residents indicated that parenthood had a neutral impact on the performance of their colleagues. Lactation facilities and/or childcare services were not present in all programs. Conclusions Most oral and maxillofacial surgery residents support parental leave despite the lack of a formal policy in their residency program. Residents who had a child during residency received up to 2 weeks as parental leave. Residents felt that their programs were supportive of parental leave. Parenthood did not prevent the pursuit of fellowship training.