Pregnancy and parenthood among US surgical residents

Published in JAMA Surgery. Here is a link to the article.

Regenstrief Institute authors: Karl Y. Bilimoria, M.D., M.S.

This national cohort study assessed the experiences of pregnancy and parenthood among U.S. general surgery residents. Female residents were significantly more likely than male residents or male residents’ partners to delay childbearing, experience pregnancy-related mistreatment, and suffer obstetric complications and postpartum depression. Such mistreatment was strongly linked to increased burnout, thoughts of leaving the profession, and suicidality. The findings underscore the need for systemic reforms in surgical training programs to improve gender equity and support maternal and mental health in the workforce.

Authors:

Ruojia Debbie Li, MD, MS^1,2; Lauren M. Janczewski, MD, MS^1,2; Joshua S. Eng, PhD¹; Darci C. Foote, MD, MS^3,4; Christine Wu, MD⁵; Julie K. Johnson, PhD¹; Sarah Rae Easter, MD⁶; Eugene Kim, MD⁷; Jo Buyske, MD⁸; Patricia L. Turner, MD⁹; Thomas J. Nasca, MD¹⁰; Karl Y. Bilimoria, MD, MS^1,9; Yue-Yung Hu, MD, MPH^1,2,11; Erika L. Rangel, MD, MS¹²

Affiliations:

¹Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis

²Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

³Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

⁴Department of General Surgery, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, Michigan

⁵Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

⁶Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

⁷Division of Pediatric Surgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California

⁸American Board of Surgery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

⁹American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois

¹⁰Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Chicago, Illinois

¹¹Division of Pediatric Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

¹²Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston