While most physicians recommend new parents receive at least 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, faculty at some of the nation's top medical schools receive far less, according to Bloomberg.
Researchers from UC San Francisco conducted a study examining the top medical schools according to U.S. News & World Report's academic rankings, as well as the medical schools that received the most in National Institutes of Health funding. A research letter regarding the study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers found maternity leave policies at 12 top U.S. medical schools varied widely, and the corresponding language outlining those policies was often ambiguous. On average, birth mothers received roughly two months of paid maternity leave, about one month less than the physician recommended amount of time.
"Despite the strong evidence base supporting the beneficial effects of at least 12 weeks of paid childbearing leave for the physical and mental health of mother and child, we are surprised that the average paid leave across schools was only about 8 weeks," Christina Mangurian, MD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at UCSF School of Medicine and the study's senior author, told Reuters via email.
However, Dr. Mangurian said she and her fellow researchers did witness change at some medical schools, according to Bloomberg. During the study, three of the medical schools under examination increased the amount of maternity leave they offered faculty.
"I don't think [these medical schools are increasing the amount of paid leave] out of the kindness of their hearts. They're just like, 'If we do this, we can retain and recruit better talent,'" Dr. Mangurian said.