Pregnancy

Having a baby and being a parent during medical school is a challenge, but it is not impossible. The School of Medicine is here to support you through the process of expanding your family. The information and resources below may be helpful to you in considering your options.

When considering pregnancy and parenthood, it is recommended that students meet with their Foundations dean, the Assistant Dean for Student Support, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, or the Proactive Advisor to discuss how pregnancy and/or parenthood might impact their personal and curricular plans. Additionally, many students find it helpful to review the “Maybe a Baby” panel event recordings at the bottom of this page to hear how other students, residents, and their partners have navigated the pregnancy and parenting processes during medical training.

As students think about these issues, some factors to consider are:

• The time of year you are pregnant, when you would have your baby, and where this will fall in the curriculum
• Your family situation and circumstances
• Personal desire to prioritize being at home vs. graduating as soon as possible
• Financial aid needs and debt load
• Strength and competitiveness as a student
• Competitiveness of your specialty choice
• Impact to Step 1 and Step 2 preparation and exams
• Applying and interviewing for residencies

These factors lead students to take different paths, including expanding their curriculum or taking a leave of absence.

Timing

While no one can ever truly control when they become pregnant and there can be “better” windows in terms of timing, the School of Medicine will be supportive regardless of when a pregnancy occurs.

Delivering during a curriculum phase, especially Foundations Phase, can be particularly disruptive to your progression through the curriculum. Pregnancy may require flexibility in your plans and potentially extending your medical training.

Previous students have found delivering between curriculum phases and after their respective Step exams to be less disruptive to progressing through the curriculum, e.g. after completing Foundations Phase and Step 1, after completing Patient Care Phase and Step 2, etc.

• Meet with your Foundations dean, the Assistant Dean for Student Support, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, or the Proactive Advisor to discuss your personal and curricular plans
• If your pregnancy involves medical complications that impact one or more of your major life functions, connect with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) to discuss potential accommodations for classes/clerkships
• Explore childcare options and other forms of support

Pregnancy is not considered a disability and is not eligible for accommodations from Disability Resources for Students (DRS) except under the following conditions:

• If the pregnancy incurs medical complications that impact the student’s ability to function
• If the student has furniture needs in the classroom (e.g., a pull-out chair) because they no longer fit in the furniture that is available in the classroom
• If the student is scheduled to deliver during the academic quarter

Students must meet with the DRS Access Coordinator for UW health sciences students early in their pregnancy if they anticipate needing accommodations for any pregnancy-related issues.

As the person delivering the baby

All students are held to the attendance & absentee policies of their particular curricular phases.

Foundations phase

Students who need to miss required coursework due to the birth of their child must notify the Block, Thread, FCM, or PCP director as appropriate. Impacted students will need to work with the faculty to determine when and how they will make up missed time and coursework.

Clinical phases

Per the clinical attendance & absence policy, all students are granted 2 days off for anticipated absences. Policies for making up missed time beyond this ceiling vary depending on the clerkship. Students have the option of rescheduling clerkships and/or taking a leave of absence.

Exams

Impacted students should contact their respective Foundations dean or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs if they need to postpone taking an exam due to the birth of their child.

As the partner of the person delivering the baby

All students are held to the attendance & absentee policies of their particular curricular phases.

Foundations phase

Students who need to miss required coursework due to the birth of their child must notify the Block, Thread, FCM, or PCP director as appropriate. Impacted students will need to work with the faculty to determine when and how they will make up missed time and coursework.

Clinical phases

Per the clinical attendance & absence policy, all students are granted 2 days off for anticipated absences. Policies for making up missed time beyond this ceiling vary depending on the clerkship. Students have the option of rescheduling clerkships and/or taking a leave of absence.

Exams

Impacted students should contact their respective Foundations dean or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs if they need to postpone taking an exam due to the birth of their child.

Lactation is supported by the university through the first year of the child’s life, which is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ minimum recommendation. Students who wish to extend breastfeeding beyond 1 year may take a leave of absence.

Lactation breaks

Courses/clerkships

Breastfeeding is protected under Title IX, and breastfeeding students should be afforded regular 30-minute breaks every 3 hours to pump in order to maintain milk supply and prevent discomfort.

Exams

To alleviate stress and discomfort, it is recommended that students breastfeed/pump prior to the start of exams.

During timed exams, 30-minute breaks are provided every 3 hours for breastfeeding students to pump. These breaks will not impact the length of time the student has to complete the exam. Breastfeeding students are still required to adhere to testing environment requirements.

Lactation stations

Lactation room amenities vary per site. Each site should be able to provide access to a private, lockable room that contains a chair and table. Students should not be expected to pump in a bathroom. Students should notify their Foundations dean or clerkship site director if the amenities are not adequate. If students feel that they are not being supported by their dean or site director, they should contact the Director of the Learning Environment and/or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs immediately.

Foundations locations

• WA – Seattle: UW Campus
• WA – Spokane: Gonzaga Campus & on the lower level of the Schoenberg Center
• WY: University of Wyoming
• AK: University of Alaska-Anchorage
• MT: Montana State University
• ID: University of Idaho

Clinical locations

• Harborview Medical Center
• UW Medical Center – Montlake/Health Sciences
• UW Medical Center – Northwest
• UW Medicine – East Side
• For all other clinical sites, contact the clerkship site administrator for assistance

Students should research childcare options prior to or as soon as they become pregnant, as many childcare centers have long waiting lists. While financial aid can be adjusted to cover family housing expenses, the school cannot subsidize, facilitate, or manage placement of dependents at childcare centers, daycare centers, adult homes, or nursing homes.

Childcare & clerkship schedules

Due to clinic, physician, team, and patient schedules, the amount of scheduling notice will vary across clerkships and often can be minimal. Students who are parents of small children should alert their site administrators that they will need to arrange childcare and ask to be given their work schedule as soon as it is available so that they can make childcare arrangements.

Students should communicate any planned absences to their clerkship administrator and site director in advance of the start of the clerkship.

Well childcare resources

• WA – Seattle:

  Student parents at the UW can find the resources they need to support the successful completion of their degree, including general UW childcare and parenting resources listed here. The UW Childcare Assistance Program (formerly known as the Student Parent Resource Center) is designed to assist UW Seattle campus students in covering the costs of licensed childcare for their children (ages birth – 12 years old) while enrolled in an eligible program of study to reduce the second primary barrier to attaining a higher education. This award is funded by Student & Activity fees paid by students attending the Seattle Campus. To apply for Childcare Assistance, please visit the Application Process web page. If you need help finding a childcare provider, please click here. For additional information, please visit UW Childcare Assistance Resources, email caposfa@uw.edu, or phone 206.543.1041.

On-site childcare at UW:

UW Children’s Centers serve faculty, staff, and students by providing year-round, on-site infant, toddler, and preschool childcare at four Seattle campus locations. The Children’s Centers at West Campus and Portage Bay serve primarily UW faculty and staff. The Children’s Centers at Radford Court and Laurel Village give some priority to UW students in family housing. Enrollment priority and tuition cost vary for each location, and you must put your name in the wait pool before enrolling; the average wait time for space is 2-3 years.

Off-site childcare for UW students:

UW students are eligible for priority access for off-site childcare at all Bright Horizons centers and select KinderCare centers on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority access does not guarantee placement, but it will move you up their wait pool as a UW priority.

• WA – Spokane:

  Gonzaga University does not provide campus-affiliated childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

• WY – Laramie:

  Visit University of Wyoming Childcare Resources and University of Wyoming-associated Childcare Resources.

• AK – Anchorage:

  The University of Alaska Anchorage does does not provide campus-affiliated childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance. See UAA Support for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Parents for more information and additional links. State resources include Alaska Childcare Program Office and Alaska Childcare Financial Assistance for Families.

• MT – Bozeman:

  Visit Montana State University Student Family Support and Montana State University Family Advocates & Contact Information

• ID – Moscow:

  Visit University of Idaho Children’s Center

Sick and backup childcare resources

WA – Seattle:

UW offers in-center and in-home sick and backup childcare through KinderCare and Bright Horizons to eligible students at the Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses. Examples of when to take advantage of these services are:

• Your child is mildly ill and can’t go back to their care center yet (in-home care)
• Your regular caregiver is unavailable (center or in-home care)
• Your child’s school is closed (center or in-home care)
• You are between care arrangements (center or in-home care)
• You are transitioning back to work after leave (center or in-home care)

E-mail childcare@uw.edu if you have questions about UW’s backup care program.

WA – Spokane:

Gonzaga University does not provide campus-affiliated childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

WY – Laramie:

University of Wyoming does not offer campus-affiliated sick or backup childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

MT – Bozeman:

Montana State University does not offer campus-affiliated sick or backup childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

ID – Moscow:

Idaho State University does not offer campus-affiliated sick or backup childcare services. Please contact your Foundations dean and staff for guidance.

For more childcare information, see the Pregnancy and Parenting resources page, which includes information and resources compiled for each WWAMI state and clerkship site city within.

The Time in Seattle policy requires that every student complete at least 8 weeks of clerkships in Seattle. Students are also expected to complete at least 24 weeks of clerkships in regional WWAMI sites outside of Seattle. To optimize time in one location, students can:

• Apply to Special Programs: The Olympic Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) program, the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE), or the WWAMI Track program, which includes the Greater Seattle Option (GSO). On the application for these programs, students should indicate their reason for needing to be in a particular location.
• Following the release of the clerkship schedules, students may trade clerkships with other students to increase their time in a particular location.
• If students are unable to travel due to a medical condition, they should obtain accommodations from Disability Resources for Students (DRS). Depending on the timing of the request relative to the scheduling process, clerkship availability, and capacity, DRS may require a student to be accommodated in one location for a longer duration.

Depending on the circumstances, students might also consider taking “lighter” elective courses, expanding their coursework, or taking a leave of absence.

Clerkship site assignments

For clerkships with multiple sites, specific site placement is determined by individual clerkship departments. Students should contact the clerkship administrators as soon as they receive their schedules from the registrar to discuss any options for site placements.

All students are expected to meet the required work hours of the clerkship, as outlined in the technical standards. There can be no restrictions on students’ work hours, and commute time is not factored into work hours. All students should be provided with a call room when they are on call. If no call room is available, students will be excused from call.

Pregnant students who are concerned about work hours should contact their clerkship site administrators several weeks prior to starting the rotation to see if there are ways to optimize their clerkship schedule. Depending on the specific clerkship, call schedule, and patient schedule, this may or may not be possible.

Students who are parents of small children should alert their clerkship site administrators that they will need to arrange childcare and ask to be given their work schedule as soon as it is available so that they can make childcare arrangements. Note that due to clinic, physician, team, and patient schedules, the amount of scheduling notice will vary and can be minimal.

Students should communicate any planned absences to their clerkship administrator and site director in advance of the start of the clerkship.

Depending on the circumstances, students might also consider taking “lighter” elective courses, expanding their coursework, or taking a leave of absence until they feel ready to be fully engaged in their educational experience.

If there are extenuating circumstances that make their clerkship schedule unfeasible but the 6-week add/drop deadline has already passed, students should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Housing is provided by the individual clerkship departments and may range from single units to larger units accommodating multiple students. Not all sites have family-friendly housing available. To determine if a particular site is suitable for their needs, students should research the housing options prior to submitting scheduling preferences to the registrar’s office. Housing information is available on the individual department websites.

The UWSOM does not reimburse for private housing.

Students may choose to take time off to spend more focused time with their families post-partum. There are two ways to extend medical training: leave of absence or expansion.

• A leave of absence is when a student takes off two or more quarters, is not enrolled in any course work or clerkships, and is not paying any tuition or receiving any financial aid.
• An expansion is when a student spreads out their clinical curriculum such that they are enrolled at least every other quarter. Expansions are only an option for students in their clinical curriculum.

Students interested in taking time off should meet with the Proactive Advisor to discuss their options.

Financial implications

The financial impact to each student will vary according to when the leave begins, the length of the leave, the type of leave (leave vs. expansion), the student’s home WWAMI state, and the student’s curricular program (MSTP, HPSP, OMS, etc.).

Students should meet with a Financial Aid Counselor from the UWSOM Financial Aid Office to discuss any potential impacts, including but not limited to:

• Grace periods on loans
• WWAMI partner fees or tuition affiliations
• Tuition forfeitures
• Adjustments to aid/paying back aid
• Additional tuition for extra coursework (expansion)
• Additional debt for housing, childcare expenses, etc.

Residency implications

Students should be prepared to discuss any interruptions to their medical education during their residency interviews.

When residency programs review applicants who have taken extra time during medical school, they are looking for “red flags” that might have been responsible for the extra time. Pregnancy and parenthood are not considered a “red flag” by residency programs (and if a residency program does consider it a “red flag” and is not supportive of parents, then it is a program that students should avoid).

Career Advisors and College Mentors are available to help students prepare their responses.

While the School of Medicine does not offer financial planning, the Financial Aid Counselors are available to discuss aid options and provide referrals to other financial resources and services.

If you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, UWSOM counselors are available to provide free and confidential services to medical students and their partners.

The UWSOM occasionally offers family-oriented events. These will be announced by the UWSOM Counseling and Wellness Services and, occasionally, other departments.

Title IX protections

Title IX, Washington State law, and University of Washington policy prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, pregnant or parenting status, and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) identity. Learn more here.

Letter to clerkships outlining Title IX requirements

June 17, 2019

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

The University of Washington School of Medicine is a family friendly institution and is supportive of and committed to students who wish to begin their families during medical school. Title IX and Washington State law prohibit sex and gender based discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal funds. Compliance with Title IX requires that schools ensure equitable access to programs and activities that prevent discrimination based on sex or gender – including a student’s pregnant or parenting status.

Title IX protections:

• Breastfeeding students should be afforded regular breaks, at least 30 minutes every three hours.
• Clerkships are responsible for providing lactation accommodations. Students should have access to a private room that can lock with a chair and table. Students must not be required to pump in a bathroom.
• When a student who is breastfeeding must take a timed exam, breaks for nursing should be allowed. Furthermore, the time of the exam should be appropriately adjusted, in correlation to the breaks taken, to allow the student the full time allotted for the exam.
• Pregnant students and new parents must be given restroom breaks every 3 hours.

Other protections:

Pregnant students may qualify for other accommodations through Disability Resources for Students. Clerkships must honor all documented accommodations.

Other expectations:

All students should always be provided with a call room if they are on call. In the event no call room is available, students will be excused from call.

More information can be found here: https://www.washington.edu/titleix/pregnant-parenting/

Thank you for supporting University of Washington School of Medicine students.

Dr. Gerald Tolbert, Interim Associate Director for Student Affairs
Melinda Frank, Director of the Learning Environment

The 2016 Maybe a Baby panel features:

• Jennifer – R3 Family Medicine, son is 2 years old, had her son in beginning of Intern year, currently pregnant
• Heather – MS4, expanded during her fourth year, going into PM&R, son is 10 weeks
• Jeff – MS2, father of 5-week old and 21 month-old
• Anne – associate dean, had twins during residency
• Maya – MS4, pregnant during residency interviews, going into PM&R

The 2015 Maybe a Baby panel features:

• Anders – MS2, father of 6 month old
• Rachel – Intern, had baby in MS4 year and expanded, child is now 2 years old
• Tiffany – Pulmonologist, had a child during MS4 and also between Internship and R2, took a year off for her second child
• Andrew – Nocturnist, wife is OBGYN resident, who had a baby in her MS4 year
• Sarah –MS4 who matched in Pediatrics, mother of 5 month old, did not expand or take time off

The 2014 Maybe a Baby panel features:

• Casey – MS2, father of 1 year old
• Rachel – MS4, expanded her fourth year
• Matt – MS1, father of 4 month old
• Anne – Associate Dean, 14 year old twins who she had in residency
• Joy – MS2, has a 1 year old
• Nina – MS4, has an 8 month old

This video was unable to be “clipped” so you can either watch it in full, or scroll to the highlights, as indicated in the chart below. Some policies mentioned may be outdated.

The 2011 Maybe a Baby panel features:

• Hailey – MS4, has a 7 week old son
• Sierra – Expanded in MS2 and MS4 years, has a 3 year old and currently pregnant
• Brian – MS4, father of 3 children
• Megan – MS1/MS2, had a baby during MS1
• Katie – MS4, took year off between MS3 and MS4 to have a baby
• Brooks – MS4, father of 15 month old