### Fatherhood in Medicine: Challenges, Parental Leave, and the Impact of Presence

Becoming a father is a life-changing experience. It brings great happiness, significant responsibilities, and a major shift in what matters most. For men in the medical profession, this significant milestone is accompanied by distinct hurdles. The rigorous, demanding, and high-pressure nature of a medical career often clashes with the aspiration to take an active part in caregiving. This unavoidable conflict underscores the urgent need for improved parental leave policies—not only for fathers’ well-being but also to enhance family health and promote equity within the medical community.

#### A Snapshot of the Modern Fatherhood Paradox

Parenthood in a dual-income family introduces noteworthy challenges, especially for fathers trying to reconcile career ambitions with family commitments. Even though 85% of fathers emphasize that their children are their top priority, an astonishing 95% take less than two weeks off work post-childbirth. This gap between what they intend and what they do mirrors broader societal pressures that dissuade men from focusing on caregiving, reinforced by insufficient paternity leave policies and cultural expectations favoring breadwinning roles.

This situation is particularly pronounced in the medical sector. The high-pressure atmosphere of medicine conditions practitioners to prioritize their patients and careers over personal needs. Numerous physicians—and especially fathers—worry about taking leave, concerned they might burden their overworked colleagues, jeopardize patient care, or hinder their professional progress. While these worries are understandable, they contribute to a culture of excessive work and disregard for personal health. Consequently, many fathers in medicine delay starting a family or take extremely limited time off to tend to their newborns, often leaving their partners to manage the bulk of childcare during those critical initial months.

#### The Problem of Paternity Leave Policies

The United States is significantly behind other advanced countries regarding paternity leave policies. Current data indicates that only 14% of employers provide access to paid parental leave. Even when such benefits are available, less than half of eligible fathers take advantage of them, and merely 10% of fathers across the nation utilize any form of parental leave at all. In the absence of paid leave options, many fathers in medicine feel they have no choice but to maintain a full-time schedule to fulfill financial and professional responsibilities, further entrenching outdated gender roles.

For male physicians, the structural obstacles are intensified by the fear of workplace scrutiny. Despite an increasing recognition of the necessity for family-oriented policies in healthcare, men who take significant time off for familial duties can sometimes be viewed by peers or supervisors as less dedicated. This creates pressure for many physicians to take minimal or no leave after their child is born, thereby missing out on valuable bonding and caregiving moments.

#### The Benefits of Paternal Involvement: Why Paternity Leave Matters

Studies consistently reveal the extensive benefits of fathers engaging in active parenting, particularly during the early stages of a child’s development. Dads who take more than two weeks of paternity leave report enhanced relationships with their children and a stronger sense of purpose in their family roles. Children whose fathers take extended leave tend to view them as more supportive and involved over time.

Families also experience emotional benefits when caregiving responsibilities are fairly distributed. Research indicates that lengthier paternal leave is linked to increased marital happiness and stability, with socioeconomically disadvantaged couples reaping even greater rewards. Effective co-parenting enables both partners to flourish—both personally and professionally—by sharing the workload and promoting mutual understanding and respect.

Moreover, the advantages reach beyond the individual family. Paternity leave policies that motivate men to engage actively in parenting help to break down detrimental workplace norms that place women as the default primary caregivers. In medicine, where female physicians encounter gender-specific challenges such as wage gaps and prolonged maternity leaves, a rise in parental leave among male physicians could help reduce disparities and promote a more equitable workplace culture.

#### Reconciling Career Ambitions with Family Life: One Father’s Story

Despite these clear advantages, cultural and systemic hurdles persist—especially within the medical profession. Nonetheless, some physicians are actively challenging this entrenched status quo. Dr. Franklyn Rocha Cabrero, a neurohospitalist and clinical neurophysiologist, exemplifies this change. Upon becoming a father, he chose to prioritize his family by taking an unpaid three-month parental leave to share parenting responsibilities with his wife and bond with his newborn son.

As a self-employed physician, Dr. Cabrero meticulously planned his leave, ensuring he could retain his medical and malpractice insurance while foregoing income. For him, the short-term sacrifices were overshadowed by the chance to focus on caregiving during his family’s formative moments—a choice he believes has fortified his family connections and challenged outdated expectations in his field.

Dr. Cabrero’s conscious decision to defy professional conventions sends a strong message, not only to his medical colleagues but also to his son, whom he hopes to educate about the importance of active participation in caregiving as a father. His example highlights that fathers in medicine can—and should—reclaim the