Parenting in Residency

Family Planning for Canadian Physicians

Family Planning for Canadian Physicians podcast 

Fertility and Childbearing Among American Female Physicians (PubMed paper)

Starting a Family at Different Stages of Training

Royal College Exams

• Taking the royal college certification exams with your residency cohort was a concern of the past that sometimes led to residents limiting the length of their leave (i.e. to 6 months) so that they could take the exam at the same time. As of 2022, there is no timeline for completion of residency in relation to the exam, which allows residents to take leaves of any length and take the exam during the same time as their residency cohort if they so choose.

Fellowship Applications

• Timing of leave during residency may impact whether or when you are able to apply to fellowship programs of your choice. Reach out to other fellows in the program, upper year residents, staff mentors and/or fellowship program administrators to discuss terms of a leave.

Rotation Planning

• Some rotations are mandatory in certain year, while others are optional. It may be preferable to be on less physically strenuous rotations in the first trimester of pregnancy or in the last trimester. Similarly, returning to work for any parent can be challenging and lighter rotations which allow for an earlier return home and possible missed work days may be preferable. 

• Inform your Program Director about your pregnancy first.
• Enroll in childcare waitlists early, ideally during pregnancy.
• Familiarize yourself with the PARA Agreement and PGME Policies. 
• Consider reaching out to the Office of Resident Affairs and Physician Wellness for additional resources and support.  
• Plan for patient continuity during your upcoming leave:
  • Scale back on using secure chat for patient concerns
  • Use Notes in the patient chart rather than staff messages
  • Use the “Attach” function in your Connect Care In-Basket to forward results to covering physician

12 weeks before due date 

• Ensure your PD knows that you are expecting by this point. 
• Complete the Resident Leave of Absence Request Form and submit it to your Program Administrator through e-people. 
  • Once PGME receives your signed LOA form, they will start the process with AHS. If you have any questions please email - pgme@ucalgary.ca
• Choose how much time you would like to take and how you would like to distribute your Government of Canada EI benefits. Calculate your potential benefits on the Government of Canada website.
• CIP Program: If you will be absent from any of your CIP seminars, ask someone else to host them

5 - 3 weeks before due date

• Check your mail for your Maternity Benefit Package from AHS
  • You will lose your resident Blue Cross benefits while on leave, consider “opting in” to keep them.
  • If you haven’t received a maternity benefits package from AHS, please inform MEO at cal.medicaleducationoffice@albertahealthservices.ca or (403) 943-1253.
• Apply for Employment Insurance (EI) through Service Canada
  • Gather required information: 
  • Check snail mail for your EI benefit statement, on this statement will be your EI access code. This code is critical. 
• Cancel your CMPA membership for the period of time you are not working
  • Call 1 (800) 267-6522 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST or check out www.cmpa-acpm.ca.
• Your Record of Employment (ROE) 
  • will be issued by the AHS Payroll department following the payment of your final earnings. Your ROE will be sent electronically to Service Canada. Once ROE is uploaded to Service Canada Web page, you should be able to log into your Service Canada account and download the copy for your records.

Baby Arrives

• Provide a birth announcement to the HR Contact Centre (1-877-511-4455) or online through the HRCC Portal as soon as possible. You will need to provide your employee details such as your employee ID number. 
• If you have not done so already, turn off push notifications on the Connect Care (EPIC/Haiku) application on your phone
• Set an “Out of Contact” message on your Connect Care in-basket.
• Take pleasure in the time with your new little one. Remember, even while on leave, you can still access the counselling services offered by the Office of Resident Affairs and Physician Wellness.

6 Weeks Postpartum

• Complete your Supplementary Unemployment Benefit (SUB) form (from your maternity benefits package) at your 6-week postpartum checkup.

The decision to inform your Program Director (PD) about your pregnancy or plans for maternity and/or parental leave is yours. We advise that you notify your PD before others, as it is preferable for your program to learn of it directly from you. The sooner you communicate this, the earlier they can assist with arranging rotations, modifying call schedules, and planning medical leaves if needed.

Speaking to Your Program Director - Deciding when/how to discuss this important topic with your program director can be challenging. Here are some tips and considerations

You can read the PARA Agreement on the PARA website.

Articles to note around pregnancy:
Article 11: Maternity & Paternity Leave
Article 19: Accommodation in Training due to Medical Limitations
Article 16: Bereavement Leave
Article 17: Sick Leave

If you have specific questions on how to interpret the PARA Agreement with regards to your own personal situation, we would strongly encourage you to reach out directly to PARA.

Registering early for child care waitlists can help secure a spot for your child. Families can find information about licensed child care programs and family day home agencies with the:

• University Child Care Centre Society 
  • Residents will need to provide proof of full-time status on UCalgary letterhead before their child starts attending UCalgary's Child Care Centre. If residents do not have this letter, they may request one through pgmeregistration@ucalgary.ca.
•  Finding and Choosing Child Care in Alberta or call Child Care Connect toll free at 1-844-644-5165 for help finding child care or any questions you might have about child care in Alberta.
• Child Care Lookup Tool
• Care Find is a website that helps in finding daycares, preschools, out-of-school care and approved day homes.

Review the PARA Agreement regarding maternity & parental leave.

Should you have questions on specific articles, please reach out directly to PARA.

Resident physicians automatically lose their Blue Cross benefits while on maternity and unpaid parental leave. A resident may choose to “opt-in” by paying 100% of the premiums for these benefits by submitting the “Benefits Coverage During Leaves of Absence” form that is included in the Maternity Package you receive from AHS Benefits three months before your expected due date. 

In either case, residents continue to have access to their Flexible Spending Account, and PARA will continue to pay their premiums for Long Term Disability Insurance and Life Insurance.

To obtain the Government of Canada's EI Maternity and Parental Benefits, check the eligibility qualifications.

To obtain AHS Maternity and Parental Benefits, check your eligibility as per the PARA Agreement.

I haven’t been in my residency for 8 weeks yet

• Check if you are eligible for another type of leave in the PARA Agreement.

I am in my last year of residency

• Check how this affects maternity pay and benefits in the PARA Agreement.

I don't want to take a leave

• The Alberta government website states: Birth mothers (parent) must take at least 6 weeks after birth for health reasons, unless:
  • the employer agrees to an early return to duties, and
  • the employee provides a medical certificate stating the return will not endanger their health

Connect Care access is deactivated if you do not login for 180 consecutive days (about 6 months). Typically, you would receive a reminder about the need to login to preserve your access at 150 consecutive days without logging in. Logging into Connect Care at least once every 180 days will avoid unintended deactivation of your Connect Care access.

Please email connectcare@ahs.ca if your Connect Care access is deactivated. 

• If you return to work earlier than the date on your original Leave of Absence Request Form (LOA) you must: 
  • Inform the MEO by sending an email to CAL.MedicalEducationOffice@albertahealthservices.ca with your new return date 
  • Complete a new LOA form and submit it to your Program Admin.
  • Email PGME to update them on your new return date at pgme@ucalgary.ca.
• If you choose to extend your leave, you must inform your program administrator, PGME and the MEO as well as re-apply for EI to extend your benefits if applicable.
• In the month before returning: 
  • Please send an email to your Program Administrator (PA) to inform them of your return to work. NOTE: your PAs and Program Directors (PDs) may have changed during your leave. The most up-to-date program information can be found here.
    • You will get an email from your MEO a month before returning. If you have not heard from your MEO two weeks before your return, please contact the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office, and the Medical Education Office (MEO) to inform them of your return to work. 
  • Contact the Parking office to get your ID reactivated.
  • Should your CPSA license or CMPA Malpractice Insurance require renewal while on your leave and it lapses, you might be required to submit new police checks from each jurisdiction where you have held a practice permit upon renewal.
  • Ensure any expired certifications, such as BLS or ACLS, are renewed before returning.
  • Ensure you still have access to Connect Care. 

• It is AHS’ responsibility to provide a private space for you to chestfeed/pump; however, you may need to contact AHS prior to returning to work to request that they locate a space for you.
• You will need to fill out a ‘Request for Accommodations’ form, which can be found on the AHS website. Once there, search for “Employee Request for Accommodation”, and it will be the first available option.
• Lactation room locations at the 5 Calgary hospitals

To add tips to this list please click here. 

• Use your 5 special leave days when your children are sick. Find details on Special Leave Days in the PARA Agreement.
• Being a parent, a leader and an excellent physician are all achievable 
• Don’t have your work email on your phone. Do work after the kids go to sleep 
• Its worth it to spend time with your kids. The hospital will always be there
• The knowledge comes back after leave. But be kind to yourself during this process
• Block time in your calendar. Know when deadlines are and what you're being evaluated on. Scheduling time is so important.
• Sometimes you won't meet your own expectations. That’s okay. 
• Listen to podcasts in the car and use that time efficiently. 
• You will have to be more thoughtful and creative with your time. Kids are great at keeping your priorities straight.
• Approach your PD first with a request. If things go poorly, there are a lot of supports. If it goes well, follow up with an email so that it is in writing. 
• If you can handle call, you can handle a baby through the night
• Get on daycare lists early and utilize the available subsidies. 
• Medical trainees can apply to the UCalgary Childcare Centre. The UCCC requires proof of full-time status in association with UCalgary. Medical trainees can ask the PGME registration team at pgmeregistration@ucalgary.ca for a confirmation of enrolment letter on UCalgary letterhead that specifies full-time status.
• The UCCC is in high-demand: apply early (around 18 months from start date minimum).
• Try to leave work at work as much as possible, so that when you get home you can just focus on being a parent (until they go to bed at least).