Transitioning from parental leave during radiology residency training can be a time of stress and uncertainty. However, there are ways that program directors can help make the transition smoother and less overwhelming. Trainees report numerous stressors upon returning from leave involving childcare, lactation concerns and logistics, and discrimination. Program directors can help alleveate these stressors by counseling trainees returning from parental leave and providing reseources and a supportive enviroment. This article provides a structured frame work with tool for programs directors to ensure the transition from parental leave back to training is a smooth one.

Institutional graduate medical education (GME) programs are guided by architecture built by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and, as radiology programs, the American Board of Radiology (ABR). At its core, GME is dynamic and progressive, committed to enhancing resident education and improving the patient care that residents deliver. In 2019 and 2020, new ACGME program requirements and the expanded second edition of ACGME Radiology Milestones added new guidelines affecting all accredited radiology residencies. The ABMS has prescribed additional needed changes for our residencies, in the form of parental, caregiver and medical leave. In this manuscript, members of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) Wellness Task Force define the current status of family leave and outline changes slated for July 1, 2021.