REVIEW ARTICLE: REVIEW ARTICLEBaby Steps in the Right Direction: Toward a Parental Leave Policy for Gastroenterology FellowsFeld, Lauren Deborah MD1 Author Information 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Correspondence: Lauren Deborah Feld, MD. E-mail: [email protected]. The American Journal of Gastroenterology: March 2021 - Volume 116 - Issue 3 - p 505-508 doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001145 Buy Metrics Abstract The American Board of Medical Specialties announced in July 2020 the adoption of a parental leave policy for residents and fellows allows for a minimum of 6 weeks of leave. This policy includes caveats: vacation and/or sick leave can be applied toward these 6 weeks, this leave can only be utilized once during training (whether for parental, caregiver, or medical leave), and this policy only applies to training programs of 2 or more years' duration. Although the new existence of a parental leave policy is a step in the right direction, trainees are in need of a more robust and evidence-based policy. There are particular challenges to be addressed in the male-dominated and procedural field of gastroenterology, in which women are underrepresented and female gastroenterology trainees are more likely to have career decisions limited around the availability of parental leave. This article reviews the evidence supporting the creation of a parental leave policy for gastroenterology fellows, with potential benefits to individual trainees as well as the field, in order to promote equity, recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in gastroenterology. © 2021 by The American College of Gastroenterology