C. C. Baniel1, T. J. Corriher2, A. Saripalli3, S. E. Beltran Ponce4, R. Bhatia5, K. Wang6, K. Huang7, J. M. Schuster8, and K. C. Paradis9; 1Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Stritch School of Medicine, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 5JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, Baltimore, MD, 6Department of Radiation Oncology, UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 7University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 8University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 9Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Purpose/Objective(s):Over 50% of radiation oncology residents plan to grow their family during training. Program policies which support residents during this significant life transition are essential to empower residents to actualize their fullest potential in training and set them up for future career success. Despite recent national policies championing new standards in family and medical leave (ACGME 2022 Institutional Program update, 2021 ABR Time Off policy) we hypothesize there remains variability in individual residency program policies pertaining to family and medical leave. The goal of Project PARENT was to create an open access database of parental leave policies at US radiation oncology and medical physics residency programs. Materials/
Methods: The ASTRO Women in Radiation Oncology Affinity group led a team of radiation oncology and medical physics residents, physicians, and physicists, to create Project PARENT. Project PARENT is supported by: the Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Programs (SDAMPP), the Association for Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP), the Association of Radiation Oncology Program Administrators (AROPA), the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology (SWRO), and the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO). This study has been given an IRB non-regulated status. A 29-question survey was created and distributed to all United States Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics residency program directors and program coordinators by email. The survey was open for 6 weeks with two reminder emails sent. Family leave policy information was sought from program websites for programs without a survey response, and left blank if no information was found from either source. Results: The survey was distributed to 89 US radiation oncology and 121 medical physics programs. The data collected will be compiled into an open access resource and will be available following ASTRO 2024 in timing with the 2024-2025 residency interview cycle. Conclusion: Project PARENT represents a novel collaboration between major radiation oncology and medical physics residency program leadership organizations in a systematic step towards reducing the gender equity gap and systematically improving wellbeing. We anticipate the creation of an open access family leave program policy database will help residency program leadership and applicants navigate family leave policies.
