Only two of the top 12 medical schools offer fully paid childbirth leave

A small study looking at childbirth and family leave at a dozen top medical schools finds that just two provide fully paid childbirth leave. Of the 12 institutions — based on highest NIH funding and U.S. News & World Report rankings — the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Johns Hopkins University were the only ones to offer staff, faculty, and residents six weeks of fully paid childbirth leave and at least four weeks of fully paid family leave — which can be taken by non-birth parents. Eight institutions offered partially paid childbirth policies, while five institutions didn’t offer any paid childbirth or family leave. Schools that did have paid leave offered fewer benefits for administrative staff than faculty members. But clerical staff are crucial to medical schools, the authors write, adding that instituting more generous policies would be a way for health professionals to promote equity in the workforce.