Maternity leave and FMLA during FM residency

[Golytely123]

Hi all,

I’m a second year Family Medicine Resident and I’m due to delivery half way between my second year of residency. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience, any advise would be highly appreciated!
Also, if you save up vacation and sick time to be used for maternity leave purpose do you still have to make for it after or how does that work?

Please let me know if anyone has any idea. Any kind of help and ideas are welcomed.

TIA

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[AMEHigh]

I’m 99% sure that if you take more than 4 weeks off you have to make the time up. I believe this is due to the rules to become board certified. You can’t just save up 3 months of leave and then graduate on time since then you wouldn’t have met all the requirements to be board-certified. I also think that if you miss a certain amount of time then you have to repeat the year. I’d certainly talk to your program about this now for the exact details so that you can plan accordingly.

 

[Golytely123]

So that would mean if I take a total of 12 weeks off I have to make up 2 months to complete residency or am I required to make up 3 months complete given that I saved up all my vacation time from that year to be used for this specific purpose?

 

[brianmartin]

it doesn't really matter what you do or how long it takes as long as you do the required rotations. My wife had our son right at the beginning of 3rd year (we were both in FM residency, same year). She was able to do a "home elective" rotation for 1 month, during which she did a variety of things that met requirements. She then tacked on some PTO to that, so a few more weeks off for a grand total of around 7 or 8 weeks off (or "at home"). Then she went back to work and my mom lived with us and took care of our son while we both finished residency. We both graduated on time. It was easier for us since we had both already finished second year.
Other people who had babies earlier, had to miss essential rotations, and those people had to make those up either in 3rd year, or extend by 1-2 months. Sometimes its better just to extend by 1-2 months and don't stress out too much. It doesn't really matter at all, because when you get a job it takes a few months to get credentialed anyway. It all depends on if your residency will allow you to do a "home" elective. If they do, its much easier.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

it doesn't really matter what you do or how long it takes as long as you do the required rotations. My wife had our son right at the beginning of 3rd year (we were both in FM residency, same year). She was able to do a "home elective" rotation for 1 month, during which she did a variety of things that met requirements. She then tacked on some PTO to that, so a few more weeks off for a grand total of around 7 or 8 weeks off (or "at home"). Then she went back to work and my mom lived with us and took care of our son while we both finished residency. We both graduated on time. It was easier for us since we had both already finished second year.
Other people who had babies earlier, had to miss essential rotations, and those people had to make those up either in 3rd year, or extend by 1-2 months. Sometimes its better just to extend by 1-2 months and don't stress out too much. It doesn't really matter at all, because when you get a job it takes a few months to get credentialed anyway. It all depends on if your residency will allow you to do a "home" elective. If they do, its much easier.

That's what the moms in my program did. 4 weeks PTO, 4 week "home-based elective" of some kind.

 

[AMEHigh]

So that would mean if I take a total of 12 weeks off I have to make up 2 months to complete residency or am I required to make up 3 months complete given that I saved up all my vacation time from that year to be used for this specific purpose?

You really should ask your program. They will give you the exact details. As people also posted some allowed them to do what seems like easy rotations that didn’t count against them, but my program doesnt offer this for leave. So anything off after 4 weeks had to be made up. And again I don’t know the rules specifically about taking off 12 weeks for example regardless if it’s for medical reasons. That might mean you have to repeat the year (there is some threshold in which you do have to repeat). So yes definitely talk to you program.

 

[Keona]

You’ll have to make up anytime other than vacation time that you use due to acgme rules. Some programs have a research month you can do from home but it’ll be program dependent.

 

[Ironheme]

Agree with the above. My understanding is that any more than 5 days of PTO off during a rotation would require an extension of your residency as per ACGME rules. You could do 10 days off with PTO if it as the end of one rotation and beginning of another.