More Studies Needed to Better Support Med Student-Parents So They Don't Quit

Ideally, one would go into medical school or any other mind-taxing, demanding endeavor childless and without any burden or distraction. Then, there would be single-mindedness and a clear focus toward accomplishing goals on time. For medical students who are also parents, the challenges can sometimes overpower personal resolve, making them quit prematurely.

Medical Students Who are Also Parents

Some med student-parents start medical school and get pregnant along the way. Others already have families, but that did not stop them from fulfilling their dreams (not that it should).

"There is really no 'best time' to start a family or go to medical school," says Britt DeRuyter, who was a parent and a medical student at Medical College of Wisconsin. The mother of four boys admitted that it could be "incredibly exhausting physically and emotionally" to strive to be a successful student and parent simultaneously, AAMC Student Residents noted.

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Stephanie Strohbeen gave birth to her third child in her third year in medical school. She delivered her baby via C-section on March 16 — at the height of the pandemic. Five weeks after childbirth, Strohbeen worked as a trainee in a well-child clinic. She stressed the importance of schedules and routines and also believes medical students need to be rigidly organized.

When the quarantine started, Natasha McGlaun prepared for the United States Medical Licensure Examinations in her makeshift office, which happens to be her 16-month-old daughter's nursery as well. She recalls studying while trying to drown out sounds of "Sesame Street" in the background.

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The Need to Support Med Student-Parents

Shayla Durfey got pregnant midway through her first year at Warren Alpert Medical School. It was then she discovered the lack of guidelines for medical students who are also parents. She dug further and found insufficient data on med student parents and the lack of support not just at her institution but in general.

Durfey discovered there was only one research paper that focused on medical student parents in the U.S. The other studies she found related to the experiences of parents who studied at med schools abroad and that of parents who are also physicians. But there are no national studies on medical student parents and a lack of information on how medical schools support them, Futurity reported.

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AMS Pregnancy and Parenting Handbook

The AMS Pregnancy & Parenting Handbook is a collaborative work of Brown University researchers spearheaded by Durfey. Jordan White, assistant professor of family medicine and medical science, and Eli Adashi, medical science professor. Adashi was formerly the dean of medicine and biological science when creating the handbook, and White was the assistant dean for student affairs.

The researchers created a comprehensive review of the existing policies at medical schools in the U.S. While there are policies in place for resident and attending physicians; there is none for medical student parents. Supporting only at the faculty level and not at the student level can create a "leaky pipeline," causing trainees to leave medical school prematurely, Brown University noted.

Parental Leaves for Student Parents in Medical School

The Brown University paper noted the need to create parental leave policies at medical school applicable for any period throughout the curriculum, including unforeseen circumstances during pregnancy and birth.

Call for Action on National and Internal Levels

The researchers also encouraged the American Medical Association and American Medical Colleges to use their national networks to start discussions on how to best support medical student parents. This would include conducting surveys to gather data on the actual number of medical students who are parents or are pregnant.

While recognizing the need for a national assessment of medical student-parents' needs, researchers advised medical schools to involve med student parents. They can help determine gaps that exist and how to fill them.