Disparities in paid parental leave and sex distribution of leadership in US adult neurology residency programs

Female medical trainees face significant barriers in balancing career and family. We examined the prevalence of advertised paid parental leave on program websites and whether the sex distribution of departmental and program leadership influences parental leave policymaking in US adult neurology residency programs. The sex of department chairs and program directors and advertised parental leave policies in 174 US adult neurology residency programs were acquired from their respective websites in July 2022. The prevalence of programs with advertised paid parental leave and/or female leadership was calculated. Pearson's chi-squared analyses compared paid parental leave advertisement with the sex of department chairs and program directors. Subgroup analyses were conducted for four geographical regions. Of 174 programs, 18 percent and 41 percent of department chairs and program directors were female, respectively, and 43 percent advertised paid parental leave. There was no association between the sex of department chairs or program directors with advertised paid parental leave. Regional comparisons showed no difference in advertised paid parental leave. We report significant female underrepresentation in academic leadership and the lack of advertised paid parental leave in most US adult neurology residency programs. Future recommendations include advocacy for equitable sex representation in leadership and addressing residency challenges.