Original Investigation
December 13, 2023
Medical Students’ Perspectives on Family Planning and Impact on Specialty Choice
Ebernella Shirin Dason, Madalina Maxim, Dionne Gesink, et al
JAMA Surg. Published online December 13, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.6392
Question What are medical students’ perspectives about family planning within a medical career and do these perspectives affect their choice of specialty?
Findings This qualitative study of 34 fourth-year medical students identified 4 major themes from interviews about perspectives on family planning: (1) there is no ideal time to family build in a medical career, (2) family planning is a taboo topic, (3) surgical specialties offer less support for family building, and (4) residents who have children are perceived to place a burden on their colleagues.
Meaning Findings of this study suggest that the medical system discourages medical students from achieving their family planning goals within training, which may affect their specialty choice.
Abstract
Importance Physicians are known to delay childbearing compared with nonphysicians and to experience higher rates of age-related pregnancy complications. Delay of childbearing is more pronounced in surgical specialties, and family planning and building goals may influence specialty choice.
Objective To assess medical students’ perspectives on the development of family planning goals and the timing of family building within a medical career to elucidate how these perceptions impact their choice of specialty.
Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study included fourth-year medical students at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was conducted between May and August 2021. Participants were purposively sampled to maximize diversity of gender and specialty choice. Interviews were conducted via videoconferencing software that were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and verified for accuracy. Thematic analysis was completed independently by 2 researchers and consensus on final themes was reached through discussion among study investigators. Data were analyzed between September and December 2021.
Main Outcomes and Measures Participants were asked to share their perceptions of personal family planning goals, support currently in place, family planning education in medicine and factors contributing to their choice of specialty and program. Thematic analysis was completed.
Results A total of 34 fourth-year medical students (median [range] age, 26 [24-33] years; 23 females [67.6%]) were interviewed. Four main themes were identified: (1) there is no ideal time to family build in a medical career, (2) family planning is a taboo topic, (3) surgical specialties offer less support for family building, and (4) residents who have children are perceived to place a burden on their colleagues. Medical students considered their family planning while deliberating among specialty choices and their experiences were highly influential in shaping their specialty selection.
Conclusions and Relevance Results of this qualitative study suggest that medical students perceive that family building during training may have unfavorable implications for team dynamics and relationships with colleagues, and these perceptions may affect specialty choice and family planning goals. Integration of family planning discussions and support for family building into medical curricula is needed along with efforts to improve culture by supporting team dynamics and workload when students take parental leave.
