Support of parenting in undergraduate medical training in New Zealand

Abstract

Purpose

This research assessed support for parents studying undergraduate medicine at a New Zealand medical school and identified requirements for additional support.

Method

Support documentation was sourced from Student Affairs and university and medical school websites. The Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand Medical Students Outcome and Longitudinal tracking Project was retrospectively examined for data specific to medical student parents. Student parents and medical school staff were also surveyed for their knowledge and perceptions around organisation and effectiveness of available support, and suggestions for additional support.

Results

Parents and expectant parents formed a consistent, likely growing sub-group studying medicine from 2008 to 2020, yet no formal student parent support policy existed until 2019. Prior to this, 67% of student parents and 47% of staff lacked knowledge of available support. Since 2020, calls for greater visibility of parenting policies and flexibility in the curriculum have been operationalised by the medical school.

Conclusion

Formalising policies and procedures, maximising access to parenting support resources and introducing flexibility in medical curricula can help students balancing families and medical training. This is relevant for sustainability of medicine as a career option for medical students wanting children, especially considering over half of all medical students are female.

Keywords:

• Undergraduate medical education
• medical school parents
• parenting support

Acknowledgements

Part of the research used data provided by the Medical Schools Outcomes Database, Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc [MSOD] project [permission granted]. We are grateful to the medical schools, medical students, graduates, and doctors who participated.

Disclosure statement

Malisa Mulholland was a medical student-parent at the Otago Medical School (2016–2021).

Data availability statement

All CMSQ and EQ demographic data can be accessed directly through MSOD.

https://www.otago.ac.nz/oms/education/mbchb/about/accountability/external/msod-project/index.html?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=redirection&utm_campaign=nzmsod&utm_term=&utm_content=#national-reports

Survey data can be accessed by emailing LG [email protected]

Additional information

Funding

Malisa Mulholland was the recipient of an Otago Medical School summer research scholarship to fund this research. The MSOD project is funded by the University of Auckland [NZ], the University of Otago [NZ], and Health Workforce New Zealand.

Notes on contributors

Malisa R. Mulholland

Malisa Mulholland, LLB(Hons), BBMedSci, MB ChB, is a mother of two and practicing clinician at Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch New Zealand, having completed her MB ChB at the end of 2021. She is also an enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and has formerly completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences.

Linda S. M. Gulliver

Linda Gulliver, BSc PhD NZRN/ON, is a Senior Lecturer at the Otago Medical School where she convenes a case-based programme for second and third year medical students and is academic lead for Interprofessional Education. Linda supervised Malisa over the course of her summer studentship for this study.