Reflections on the 2021 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and American Board of Radiology Family and Medical Leave of Absence Policies: An Opportunity to Increase Structural Support for Physicians.

In 2021, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Radiology (ABR) updated their institutional and member board requirements to mandate a minimum of 6 weeks of parental, caregiver, and medical leave of absence (LOA) for medical residents and fellows without exhausting allowed time away or extending training (ACGME policy effective July 1, 2022). 1 ACGME Institutional Requirements. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Revised September 26, 2021. Effective July 1, 2022. Available at: https://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/800_institutionalrequirements_2022.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2022. Google Scholar ,2 American Board of Medical Specialties policy on parental, caregiver and medical leave during training. American Board of Medical Specialties. Effective July 1, 2022. Available at: https://www.abms.org/policies/parental-leave/. Accessed March 24, 2022. Google Scholar This provides an exciting opportunity for US radiation oncology programs to implement these new family and medical leave policies in a way that is tailored to each department, and support radiation oncologists through all levels of training. We review these policy updates and provide our perspective on how they may affect radiation oncology residency programs.