Parental Support: Policies In Surgery Training

In surgical residency, cases are long, expectations are high, and patient care always comes first. But then you become a parent, and suddenly you’re navigating pregnancy risk, parental leave, and lactation logistics in a system that wasn’t built for it. We’ve made meaningful progress over the past decade, but too many trainees still face becoming parents in residency without clear, consistent support.
In this episode, join Dr. Kara Button with Dr. Arielle Kanters and Dr. Sarah Shubeck as they ask: How do we build a surgical workforce that’s skilled, resilient—and genuinely supported as surgeon-parents? They’ll share practical, evidence-based steps programs can take to make parental support the norm—not the exception.
Hosts:
Kara Button, DO — General Surgery Resident, Maine Medical Center; Behind the Knife Surgical Education Fellow
Arielle Kanters, MD — Colorectal Surgeon; Associate Program Director, Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Sarah Shubeck, MD — Assistant Professor of Surgery; Breast Surgical Oncologist, University of Chicago
References:
Bamdad MC, Hughes DT, Englesbe M. Safe and supported pregnancy: A call to action for surgery chairs and program directors: A call to action for surgery chairs and program directors. Ann Surg. 2022;275(1):e1-e2. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000005181 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34433187
Castillo-Angeles M, Atkinson RB, Easter SR, et al. Pregnancy during surgical training: Are residency programs truly supporting their trainees? J Surg Educ. 2022;79(6):e92-e102. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.06.011 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35842402
Castillo-Angeles M, Smink DS, Rangel EL. Perspectives of general surgery program directors on paternity leave during surgical training. JAMA Surg. 2022;157(2):105-111. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2021.6223 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34851404
Kanters AE, Shubeck SP. The importance of parental leave and lactation support for surgeons. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2023;36(5):333-337. doi:10.1055/s-0043-1764288 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37564351
Kling SM, Slashinski MJ, Green RL, Taylor GA, Dunham P, Kuo LE. Parental leave experiences for the non-childbearing general surgery resident parent: A qualitative analysis. Surgery. 2024;176(5):1320-1326. doi:10.1016/j.surg.2024.04.035 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38910045
Mann H, Glazer T. Current state of safe pregnancy policies for the US surgical trainee. OTO Open. 2024;8(3):e172. doi:10.1002/oto2.172 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39036338
Rangel EL, Smink DS, Castillo-Angeles M, et al. Pregnancy and motherhood during surgical training. JAMA Surg. 2018;153(7):644-652. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2018.0153 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29562068
Rangel EL, Castillo-Angeles M, Easter SR, et al. Incidence of infertility and pregnancy complications in US female surgeons. JAMA Surg. 2021;156(10):905-915. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2021.3301 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34319353
nytimes.com/2019/12/20/science/doctors-surgery…
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