Most women experience childhood dreams of being a grownup, with a pretty house with a white picket fence and children running around. That same little girl wanted to be a doctor; she grew up and had to face the reality that life is more complex than her dreams and that being a female gastroenterologist in this era is a multifaceted endeavor. Gastroenterology as a specialty offers the opportunity to provide long-term care to our patients and enjoy the technical aspects of endoscopy and other procedures. Until as recently as 1990, fewer than 5% of gastroenterologists were women, possibly due to the perception at the time that the practice of gastroenterology was associated with long and irregular hours, frequent night call, harsh physical strength, and quite frankly, working with aesthetically challenging bodily emanations. Recently, when more women started to consider gastroenterology as a subspecialty, there was also increased interest by women in technology, a gender shift that may reflect changes in women's places in society. Nevertheless, since gastroenterology remains a physically and intellectually demanding subspecialty, conflicts between personal and career goals arise as women transition from fellowship to practice. It is expected that as women struggle to balance family and career, the discovery of new approaches to traditional women's contributions toward academic gastroenterology and career pathways is warranted.

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