The American Medical Association recently adopted a policy supporting fertility preservation for physicians in training.
The AMA encourages insurers to cover fertility preservation and infertility treatment within health insurance benefits for residents and fellows. These benefits are common in organizations outside healthcare, but not within, according to an Oct. 11 article on the association's website.
The AMA also calls for a cultural shift that would allow residents time to attend medical appointments and receive treatment.
The average age at which many physicians complete residency training is 31; for surgical residents, the average age can be as old as 36, according to the association.
"Residents and fellows are concerned about encountering fertility challenges if pregnancy is delayed until the completion of training," Danielle Rochlin, MD, one of the co-authors of the resolution, said in the article. "These concerns may also deter medical students from choosing a career in a surgical or other field with longer and demanding training. Fertility preservation provides another option."