UVA GME Parental Leave Guide

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is used in addition to any sick or vacation time and is available once per 12-month period* and only once per child.

• Employed at UVA less than 12 months?
  • You are eligible for up to 6 weeks of PPL to be used within 6 months of the event (birth, adoption, or placement).
  • Can be taken as one 6-week block or two 3-week blocks.

• Employed at UVA 12 months or more?
  • You are eligible for 8 weeks of PPL used within 6 months of the event (birth, adoption, or placement).
  • Can be taken as one 8-week block or two 4-week blocks.

*The 12-month period begins on the first day PPL is used.

Do I owe time back?
Maybe.

The answer to this question is based on what your Specialty Board requires for Board eligibility.  The purpose of completing the required Leave Worksheet with your Program is to review your Board’s requirements, discuss any impacts of leave on your training timeline, and make a record of this conversation before your leave begins.

What might this look like?

Scenario 1

In this scenario in Family Medicine, ABFM allows up to 12 weeks of leave in one year if 8 are parental leave. The Trainee took 8 weeks of leave, 6 of which were paid through PPL, and 2 were paid through remaining sick leave.

There would be no payback required as long as the total leave in that year did not exceed 12 weeks and the Trainee was deemed competent by the Program’s Clinical Competence Committee in March of their final year.

Scenario 2

In the following scenario in Plastic Surgery, ABPS allows 12 weeks of personal leave for medical, or parental leave (no more than 4 of which can be take in the last 3 months of training). The Trainee took 12 weeks of PPL in March, April and May:

Because of the Board’s restriction in the last 3 months of the final year, this Trainee would have to be extended for 4 additional weeks of Training to make up for the 4 weeks taken in May (but not the 8 weeks taken in March or April).

Important Notes about Board Leave Policies, Training Timelines, and Requesting Leave

• Every Board has different rules, all available online.
•  Some Boards require the program to notify them PRIOR to the Trainee taking leave.
• Even if a Board allows forgiveness, that’s still based on achievement of competence which is evaluated by the CCC in the Spring of each year.
• Some Boards require any extension time to be made up in the academic year in which it was taken.
• If you are in a program that is not governed by a Board with Leave rules, then you do not owe time back to the program unless it is required for achievement of competence.
• You can always schedule time to review the Leave Policy and Procedures with either Diane Farineau or Chrisney Yerena.