Patched but Still Leaky: An Update on the Pipeline for Women in Gastroenterology

Background Women remain underrepresented in gastroenterology (GI). Studies have identified that a lack of formal mentorship for women contributes to this underrepresentation. While many GI divisions have adopted models for supporting GI fellows and faculty, there is a gap in our knowledge regarding mentorship options for internal medicine (IM) residents interested in GI. Aims To evaluate representation of women at each level of their career (resident, fellow, and attending) and examine trends in representation of women in GI compared to other IM subspecialties. Methods We analyzed AAMC Physician Specialty Data Reports to compare gender representation and growth of women representation across all IM subspecialties and residencies from 2007 to 2021. Results In 2021, 44.3% of IM residents, 37.8% of GI fellows, and 19.7% of actively practicing attending gastroenterologists were women. Since 2007, GI comprised significantly lower proportions of women attendings except for cardiology, and lower representation in fellows, except for cardiology and nephrology, than other IM subspecialties ( p