Birthrates in the United States have been on a relatively constant and significant downward trajectory since the 1950s. While medicine has improved in the field of infertility, many still struggle with the issue.

Jenna Miller, MD, is an associate professor of Pediatrics-University of Missouri-Kansas City and the program director for Pediatric Critical Care at Children’s Mercy Hospital. She is also the author of a new book, Navigating Your Fertility as a Woman in Medicine.

In her book, Miller shares her infertility journey to help others who might face this journey themselves. It is a roadmap for how physicians deal with fertility and infertility and the options available when family planning is put off until after training.

This is a critical topic that doesn’t receive enough attention from physician leaders. From deans of medical schools to editors of medical journals, from residency directors to those working in HR, understanding, supporting, and reducing the barriers for women physicians to achieve fertility is needed.

For woman physicians to achieve full gender equity, an understanding of the physiologic changes happening for women physicians in the midst of their training is needed.

@JennaMillerKC

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org