Women in GI Resources

What can I expect with an academic GI job?

• Your job requirements will vary depending on the academic institution and on your career track. You need to know the track that you are applying to, as the expectations will vary by track.
• Have a well-formulated idea of activities that you want to be involved in, and ask questions regarding expectations for various clinical duties to avoid surprises. Most clinical faculty have a greater proportion of time dedicated to clinical duties (such as endoscopy, clinics, and inpatient service) or teaching (depending on their area of interest), while the research faculty have greater time dedicated to research.
• In most academic institutions, your responsibilities will include (will vary by track):
  • Education – May include teaching GI fellows, residents, and medical students in the form of lectures, hospital rounds/service or during endoscopic procedures.
  • Clinical service – May include attending on the hospital inpatient and consult services, supervised or personal outpatient time, or outreach to an outlying underserved area.
  • Research – Will depend on your area of interest. You will want to negotiate time for developing projects, writing, and collaboration, particularly in your earliest years, as most institutions will want you to ultimately obtain grants to support your research time, which most junior faculty do not have when they start a new position.
• Having at least one mentor is key to your success as an academic gastroenterologist. Some faculty members have different mentors for different areas, such as a research mentor, a career development mentor, etc. You will want to choose an institution where your area of interest is in demand and supported.

Any negotiation tips for my first academic job?

• Remember you are a valuable person and much in demand, so approach the job, the interview and the negotiation process with that in mind. There are many very good jobs and only a few very good candidates.
• Be sure to call and speak to every person who has ever left that institution. Disgruntled or not, find out all the pitfalls. Make sure that the institution is financially stable.
• Depending on your area of interest or track, get involved with activities that align with that interest, but be cautious about taking on major roles until you have had a chance to develop your niche, as that may detract from your overall focus. Once you feel established at your center, then taking on progressive responsibility is recommended.
• Be prepared to do educational sessions with trainees (medical students, residents, fellows), and have some lectures that you have prepared in your area of interest to teach on, but do not agree to be a course director right away until you are settled into your other clinical duties. If you decide you want to be a clinical educator, with teaching as your focus, you can always increase the amount of teaching you do in the future.
• Your base salary should be everything you need to live and thrive. You should not have to depend on an incentive or bonus plan without an adequate flat salary. Incentive and bonuses are not available at all institutions and are not available to all career tracks. You never know what will change and you may be left with the low base salary for years. Before agreeing to a salary, check what the range of salaries for gastroenterologists at your level is in the region. You may use the Association of American Medical College data book available online to compare national salaries by specialties. You may not be able to negotiate a large increase in salary in an academic position, as the salary range is set by the institution and not by the Division Chair, but you can negotiate other benefits, such as time for research, CME budget, etc.
• Write down your career plan for the next 1-5 years. Make sure your goals are in agreement with the institution plans and that your Chair agrees with your personal plan. Review this plan yearly with your Division chief as your interests and/or the institution plans may change over time. Set goals and targets, and review how you are doing in meeting these metrics regularly.
• Get everything in writing. You never know if there will be a new Chair by the time you start, and everything previously discussed and not documented may be forgotten. Be very cordial in negotiating, but relentless in getting everything in writing. This may include a secretary, computer, office space, benefits package, malpractice coverage, vacation time, meeting time, maternity time. Do not sign until you get it all in writing.
• If your area of interest is research, make sure you have protected time for your research and support from your chair for membership in societies, meetings, and presentations. It is particularly important to get protected time early in your career in order begin your research, start publishing and obtain grant support, which is how you will protect your research time in the future.

How do you define your worth when negotiating jobs?

• For an academic position, your “worth” when negotiating your new job depends on your level of experience, your training and your career goals.
  • For example, your pay or compensation should reflect the number of years you have been in clinical practice, which will take into consideration your work experience.
  • It should also take into consideration the extent of your previous training, such as if you have completed additional training in transplant hepatology, advanced endoscopy or an IBD fellowship.
  • Your compensation will likely reflect your level of clinical productivity, which is determined based on your target number of RVUs (or Relative Value Units) per year at most academic centers.
• In addition, your pay will include compensation for other non-clinical activities, such as teaching medical student courses for your division or becoming involved in the fellowship program (i.e. assistant program director or program director).
• For a position in private practice, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is a great resource for salary information as they publish statistics every year on mean salaries according to demographics.
• It is critical for female gastroenterologists to realize that practices need them as many women prefer to see a female gastroenterologist.
• If you are unable to negotiate a higher salary, consider asking for other benefits such as more vacation, productivity incentives, more support staff, etc.

What is the difference between a “clinical” position and a “tenured” position in academics?

In most academic institutions, there are essentially two tracks faculty follow:

• Clinical track – Most faculty start out on a clinical track. The title of the ranking in the clinical track is as follows: “Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine,” “Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine,” “Professor of Clinical Medicine.” In the clinical track, promotion to the next level requires that the gastroenterologist demonstrate “excellence” in one of the three areas (teaching, service, research). A decision should be made early in your academic career as to which of these three areas will be the focus of your work. Each institution varies on the definition of “excellence” and requirements for promotion from each rank. Typically, promotion from assistant to associate professor should be considered after five years but can be sooner or later depending on whether you can demonstrate the requirements for the rank to which you would like to be promoted. The main difference between the clinical track and the tenure track is that the tenure track does not require a contractual agreement.
• Tenure track – A tenured position is essentially a guarantee of employment from the University. Again, each institution varies on the requirements for promotion. However, this track requires that you show “excellence” in one of the three areas (teaching, service, research) and a strength in a second of these three areas (teaching, service, research). For example, a tenure track assistant professor may put together her dossier for “excellence” in service and a second strength in research. You should double check the details of promotion with each institution you are considering. The title of the ranking in the tenure track is as follows: “Assistant Professor of Medicine,” “Associate Professor of Medicine,” “Professor of Medicine.” Tenure is usually awarded when the clinician is promoted from the assistant to associate level. In other words, the two usually go hand in hand. If the tenure track physician does not get promoted from assistant to associate level, there are two choices: (1) the physician can switch tracks to the clinical track, or (2) the physician can leave the institution. Switching between clinical and tenure tracks can happen under various circumstances, however most institutions start all new faculty in clinical tracks and it is up to the faculty member to obtain tenure status at the time of promotion.

How to get promoted as an Academic Clinician Researcher?

• Understand what is necessary for promotion at your institution in the Clinician Researcher Track.
• Meet with your chief/ chair of your department/ division to have an outline of the specifics based on the institutional requirements and how to achieve them. Conduct these at least annually.
• Find and meet with mentors to pursue your research career. These do not have to be experts specifically in your field. Someone from another department (rheumatologist, immunologist) that does work similar to what you do can also be valuable.
• Find a niche area of research. If your general topic of research has already been done, you need to show how valuable or why your specific project (s) are important to further medicine or society in general. Or find an area that is lacking in expertise or in information that would be useful for current and future needs.
• Attend courses sponsored by national organizations on your research/field of interest. These can also help in finding collaborators with your projects as well as provide you with avenues for the national recognition you need to get promoted.
• Apply for grants (institutional, local, foundation, pharmaceutical, and NIH) that will help provide you the protected time you need to conduct your research.
• Keep your CV updated based on your institutional format. Every abstract that gets accepted, every presentation you do, every paper that gets published.
• Set goals and a timeline of when research will be completed and when the papers should be written. It can be easy to get carried away by clinical duties that the research may suffer or lag behind. Publications are key to promotion as a clinical researcher.

What are some tips for the Academic Clinician Educator?

• Understand what is necessary for promotion at your institution in the Clinician Educator Track.
• Develop an educational portfolio of all your teaching activities including formal lectures, teaching rounds, small group discussions, problem based learning, teaching evaluations, etc. This will be important for promotion.
• Keep your CV updated. Every time you give a presentation or lecture, add it to your CV immediately as it is easy to forget all the work you do.
• Start a portfolio/collection of presentations on various topics. This will make it easier when you are asked to give a presentation.
• Attend courses sponsored by our national organizations on teaching, feedback, communication, etc. Institutions also hold workshops on these topics. These are required faculty development skills for a clinician educator.
• Get involved in education committees for the fellowship, medicine residency or for medical students, but make sure not to overextend yourself.

Any tips for negotiating an advanced endoscopy academic position?

• This is key – find out the volume of advanced procedures, which can be variable depending on the number of advanced cases per year and the number of advanced endoscopists per institution.
• Identify the needs of the program to determine what type of procedures you are expected to do – EUS or ERCP or both. Make sure this suits your type of advanced training. A lot of programs may only have a need for one or the other.
• Clarify the amount of time you will be allowed to do advanced procedures. Many programs have a well-established advanced endoscopy division while other programs might require you to build one.
• Make sure you will be given an adequate amount of time to build your practice in advanced GI and are not required to dedicate a substantial portion of your time to the general GI practice, as this might not be in your favor for developing or maintaining skills.
• Be sure that there is a mentor at that program or one nearby who you can continue to contact as needed who shares your interests and who can help as questions arise in your new position.
• Determine if you will be expected to attend on a combined consultative service for general GI and advanced GI or separate services, which may mean more consult time for you. This varies by program.
• Inquire if there is a combined call for general GI and pancreaticobiliary disease or an exclusive pancreaticobiliary call schedule and how much time will you be spending on each.
• Clarify the amount of protected time you will have for clinical research in your area of interest. While interviewing, inquire about ongoing projects and collaborations.
• Inquire as to whether there is a collaborative clinic with surgery or oncology, or if there is an opportunity to start one.
• Determine if there will be an advanced endoscopy fellow or if you will be working with 2nd or 3rd year GI fellows during advanced procedures. Make sure you have time to scope without a trainee as well, to maintain your own skill set.
• Understand what an RVU (relative value unit) system is and whether RVU-based compensation is in place.
• Be direct and honest as you negotiate the terms of your contract.

How does extra training such as an MPH play into your future career and how do you negotiate who pays for this training?

• An advanced degree, such as an MPH, may be useful if you plan to pursue a research career in academic medicine.
•  Unfortunately, current funding for research is particularly strained for academic faculty and the best way to get a career in research is to be able to continue research from fellowship. Some fellowship programs are set up to allow fellows, particularly fellows in a “research track,” to pursue a Master’s degree or take some Master’s level classes. You should talk to your fellowship director about this if interested.
• If taking classes during fellowship is not possible at your training program, you should try to use data from a study completed during fellowship or early in your academic career to apply for a K award, which is an NIH-funded, mentored research award that requires protected research time and allows for continued education, such as obtaining an MPH.

What do I need to know about education or educational administration type tracks (associate and program director)?

• Having an academic position typically includes some form of teaching, such as giving lectures to fellows, residents and/or medical students; teaching on rounds; and teaching endoscopy.  If you state that you want to be a “clinician educator,” you will want to have a clear idea of how that is different than the typical educational expectations of anyone in the practice.
• There are no specific additional fellowship training requirements for fellows who wish to pursue a career as a clinician educator, which can include more teaching responsibilities, such as overseeing the medical school curriculum for your division, or as an associate fellowship program director or program director. A master’s in clinical education is available (not required) if individuals are interested in advanced degrees in this area. There are national meetings such as the ACGME or AAMC meetings which have a number of educational topics of relevance.
• The ACGME requires program directors to be at least 5 years out of fellowship training before assuming such a role; there is no minimum time needed from training for associate program director positions.
• If interested, you should make your division chair and the current program director aware of your interest early in your career so that you can become involved with aspects of the program that will provide you with the experience necessary to become a program director once eligible. However, be cautious in signing up to be an associate program director too early in your career, before you have had time to develop the other aspects of your academic portfolio.
• With any education role, whether it be overseeing a medical school course, running a CME program or being involved with the administration of the fellowship program, find out what time is being given to allow you to accomplish the task.

What to do when negotiating at your own training center for your first job?

• Regardless of where you are considering working, it is very important to interview at a few other places to obtain some perspective. Interviewing at other locations – academic or private practice – will give you some insight into the differences in salary as well as other areas of the compensation plan.
• If you are interested in clinical practice at an academic center, you will get more information about the expected level of productivity (i.e. annual RVU goals) and compensation (i.e. salary plus benefits) at your center compared to a private practice group.
• If you are interested in research or a clinician educator track, interviewing at other academic centers will allow you to compare the amount of time and compensation provided for these non-clinical activities.
• Also, be sure that the job you are applying for matches your career goals. For example, if you are interested in a research position, but your institution is looking for a clinical faculty position, you may not have adequate time to continue or start a research career given the clinical demands associated with a clinical position.  (See FAQ #2 on negotiating tips).

Any tips for negotiating my first private practice job?

• Keep in mind that you are a true asset to a community as a female gastroenterologist. Many patients specifically request female physicians given the intimacy of our profession.
• Know the market that you are joining: private group solo gastroenterology practice, hospital employed, or multispecialty group.
• Understand how you will be paid: salary plus/minus incentive or bonus; work RVU (relative value units); or profit minus overhead.
• Ask for specifics regarding your overhead: What does it include and how much control do you have in lowering your overhead? Do you have fixed/shared costs such as referrals, business office staff, other shared ancillary staff/services? What are your direct costs and how can you manage those?
• Before interviewing, have in mind how much you want to work. For example, how many patients do you want to see on a given day, how many procedures you wish to do or have time allotted for, and how much call are you willing to take?
• Be honest with your intentions for full-time or part-time and ask how that will affect your pay, call, and allotted procedure time. Be aware that most “private” groups have overhead percentage, meaning that if you are 0.6 time, then you pay that percentage of overhead. Ensure that this includes benefits.
• Try to gain knowledge on reimbursement in your area. What is the payer mix in the practice that you are joining. If you want to make X amount of money, what does that equate to in patient load. This is important because groups will give guarantee salaries for 1-2 years, and if your intentions are to work part-time, then you need to know what is expected of you to reach that salary. I found it best to choose a lower salary and meet my guarantee quickly so I had more control and became partner faster.
• Ask if there are opportunities for teaching and having medical students, if that is something you are interested in being able to do.
• Consider building a day or half-day into your schedule for paperwork, call backs, and pathology review. If you do not have scheduled time for this, you may be required to do this after your other clinical duties.
• Determine how the practice schedules hospital coverage. For example, will you be required to cover inpatient consults for a week at a time or if you will be seeing your clinic patients who are admitted on a daily basis? Also, find out who will be covering your patients when you are off or if the requirements will be the same if you work part-time.
• Fully understand your contract and what you are signing. Put everything you want in writing and protect your own interests. You may want to consider having a contract lawyer review the contract prior to your signing as there may be some specific business-related details that you will want to fully understand before you sign.
• Talk to those who have left the group and ask them their reasons. Ensure to meet all of the partners of the group you are joining. You want to be sure that you feel comfortable with the people you will be working with before you start because you will be spending a lot of time on a daily basis with these people.
• Make your practice how you want it to be, ensure you choose a group who will help to cultivate your practice. GI is a wonderful field and can be so much fun!!!

How do you define your worth when negotiating jobs?

• For a position in private practice, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is a great resource for salary information as they publish statistics every year on mean salaries according to demographics.
• It is critical for female gastroenterologists to realize that practices need them as many women prefer to see a female gastroenterologist.
• If you are unable to negotiate a higher salary, consider asking for other benefits such as more vacation, productivity incentives, more support staff, etc.

What does “partner” status mean?

• Becoming a partner means that you become part owner of the existing business, which includes sharing in the profits and losses of the corporation.
• Partner status is usually offered about 3 years after being hired by a practice. It involves a financial relationship where one becomes an owner in the practice and in the surgery center entity. You have to first “buy in” to the business aspects of the practice and/or surgery center and then will have access to the profits (see FAQ #14 about “buying in”).
• Partnerships can be structured in various arrangements and the details can have different financial ramifications.
• Partner status also allows better job security and usually comes with more “perks” such as more vacation, reduced work schedule (i.e. 4 day work week), insurances, etc.
• If a position is offered and you are at the point of contract negotiation, this is the best time to ask full details about achieving partner status.  Some important questions you may want to ask about becoming a partner include:
  • Is there a set timeline to become eligible to become a partner?
  • Did other members of the practice all comply with this timeline before becoming partner?
  • Are there any factors that may shorten or extend this timeline?
  • Are there other criteria that a new hire has to meet before becoming eligible to buy in to the practice, such as a certain productivity level?
  • Does an individual or a board decide on eligibility? If so, how is this decision made and are the criteria for eligibility clear?

How to negotiate buy-in amounts with your job?

• Most practices should touch on buy-ins in the initial contract.
• Buy-in to the practice is separate from buy-in to the surgery center. Most surgery centers will have a value placed on them by the practice accountants. Each practice uses different calculations so it is important to try to get the specifics on how this is calculated.
• It is best to hire an accountant to assess the value of the corporation based on its accounts receivable, which the company should disclose to you. Based on that number, your lawyer can negotiate your buy-in amounts.
• Some questions to consider:
  • How is the value of the practice determined?
    • Assets—directly measurable (equipment, office, furniture, etc.)
    • Accounts receivables—owed money for services rendered (note: this is rarely 100%)
    • Goodwill—expected future earning power
  • Is there a generic formula for setting a buy-in price?
  • How much of the practice can be bought into? Is there a maximum share?
  • Is payment expected over a specific time? Is interest included?

How can I involve my partner in the interview process?

• The decision on which location to focus energy on should be based on an open conversation with your partner of where they would realistically be interested in living, working, and raising a family, if applicable.
• You are the lead in the communication with your prospective employers. Do not ask your partner to communicate directly with prospective employers in making arrangements for the initial interview or negotiating the contract.
• During the interview process, the prospective employer may invite your partner to a dinner event either on the first or second look. Your partner can be a real asset as prospective employers definitely gauge how interested the partner is living in that area.

Where can additional resources for those in private practice be found?

• The best resource regarding information on private practice is other gastroenterologists in private practice. There is a tremendous variability in how private practices are structured and most fellows are not aware of the details of these differences.
• When negotiating, it is critical to work with a good health care attorney, preferably one who deals with GI practices in your region.
• Consider signing up for the ACG Mentoring Program, which would allow you to have a private practitioner as a mentor who can help with some of the specific details related to obtaining a job in private practice.
• The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) also has a lot of information that can answer most questions regarding private practice.

What is “FTE” and how to do I determine what FTE to work?

• FTE stands for Full Time Equivalent.  This is the amount of time you plan to work, expressed as a percentage, compared to the expected full time schedule in a practice (i.e. 1.0 FTE = full time, 0.75 FTE = working 75% of the time, 0.5 FTE = half time).
• Each half day in a given work week is the equivalent of 0.1 FTE or 10% time, assuming a 5-day work week.
• The first step in determining what FTE you plan to work is to ask what the full-time schedule is for your practice. In academic centers, this will be a regular 5-day work week. Some private practices may work on a 4-day work week, so you need to know that as a first step.
• For each half (0.1 FTE) or full day (0.2 FTE) that you want to be off each week on average, you would deduct this from the full 1.0 FTE to determine what you plan to work.
• You need to also inquire what defines “full-time” versus “part-time” for your practice, as there is often an FTE below which you will lose full-time benefits.
• Things that will often be adjusted based on your FTE include: salary, retirement funds, vacation days, travel or CME budget, premiums paid for healthcare, and more.  Additionally, you should use this in negotiating how much call you do compared to those working full-time.
• In determining your FTE, you will also want to ask about the flexibility you will have in changing your FTE over time.  In some practices, you will have the ability to increase or decrease your FTE based on life circumstances.  In other practices, the unused FTE from part-time practitioners’ schedules may be combined to allow hiring of additional employees, offering less flexibility for change.

How does one approach FTE now or changes later in practice?

• Determining your FTE depends on your career goals and benefit needs. It is always best to be upfront and honest about your desired work schedule so that you can make sure you and your employer are happy with your position.
• It is very important to clarify what level of FTE qualifies for benefits (such as medical insurance, retirement, life insurance, etc.) prior to signing a contract and prior to making any changes in your current schedule based on your family needs.
• Also, some academic centers may not provide tenure-track positions or academic promotion (to associate or full professor) for faculty who are not full-time, which can mean working less than 0.8 FTE. (See FAQ #17 for additional FTE information).
• Not all private practices use FTE to determine work hours. Most private practice partnerships involve working “full time,” however, it is possible to negotiate part-time work hours.
• Female doctors are very valuable to practices and, as such, practices may be willing to negotiate a schedule that meets your needs. In addition, your schedule may change once you become a partner, as many private practices give partners one full day off every week in addition to vacation time.

How can I balance work and home life?

• Prioritize – for the day, week, month, year, etc. Have an idea of what you want to accomplish for that particular time period. Remember to be realistic with your goals.
• Use a planner (calendar or smart phone) to keep your to-do lists updated – adding on tasks as they come up and crossing off tasks as they are completed – to stay on task.
• Learn how to say no to things that you are not interested in and things that will not advance your career. Overloading your plate at work will spill over into family time.
• Use your support structure (family, friends, church, book club, etc.) to help with providing “me” time, an opportunity for date night, a way to participate in extracurricular activities, or to have an avenue for venting when necessary.
• Keep work at work and home at home, as best you can. Carve out time in your schedule (block your schedule or ask for time off in advance) so that you can make time for specific events, such as your child’s sporting event, birthday party, tennis lessons, etc.
• Give yourself a break – you can’t be all things to all people and you won’t be perfect. If you want a spotless house, you may need to hire help… or let it go. Eating out/ordering in from time to time is not a bad thing.
• Don’t forget about your own health. A well-balanced diet and just 10-30 minutes of exercise can go a long way. You perform better when you feel good.
• If possible, take some time, such as a half day off every week or every two weeks, to do something just for you. You will be better able to give more of yourself to others when you take care of yourself first.

How do you continue to achieve and adjust for work-life balance?

• Work-life balance is a concept that has infiltrated almost the entire work force, affecting female and male employees, and pertains similarly to academicians as well as private practitioners.
• You may want to consider changing the prospective to “work-life fit,” a term coined by Cali Williams Yost, which means determining what works best for you right now. This term takes into consideration the times when your family needs more attention and your work takes less focus or vice versa, but does not imply that your life is necessarily out of balance during those times.
• A recurring theme when discussing work-life fit or balance is the importance of focusing on and providing all your attention to one task at a time and being present in the moment. That can mean being fully focused on work while at work or, equally as important, being fully focused while at home. So, for example, instead of continuing to reply to work emails after returning home, focus on looking your children or spouse in the eyes when they are telling you about their day.
• Understand that there may be times when you need to spend more time at work than at home or vice versa depending on deadlines and other demands, but being fully present and making your time count is what helps to establish a good work-life fit.
• Another aspect of obtaining balance is the importance of maintaining your personal wellbeing, with the idea that “the better you are, the better everyone is around you.”
• To keep yourself “better” emotionally, psychologically and physically is a personal responsibility that we owe ourselves and our loved ones. You should consider taking time for yourself and prioritizing your wellbeing. For example, consider taking 30 minutes a day to do something that you enjoy, like working on a hobby or having tea with a friend.
• If financially feasible, you could consider paying for a cleaning service for your house or having your groceries delivered to your home to save time for things that are more important to you. The happier you are with yourself overall, the more you will be able to help those around you, including your family, your practice and your patients.
• For additional information and input, Dr. Christina M. Surawicz’s J. Edward Berk Lecture called “Avoiding Burnout: Finding Balance Between Work and Everything Else,” which she gave at the annual ACG meeting in 2013, is available online through the ACG Education Universe.
• In addition, the ACG has created the Professionalism and Wellness Initiative to further address these issues and has included a GI Circle discussion forum focused on these issues.

How does pregnancy affect work schedules during fellowship or beyond?

It is a challenge to predict when in the pregnancy a provider will be medically unable to work. Some women are able to work up to delivery while some require bed rest earlier. Open communication with colleagues, and specifically with your program director, Division Chair or Administrator is important to maintain good relationships and assist in anticipating gaps in coverage, as well as planning for patients’ needs. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• The ABIM requires completion of accredited fellowship training by October 31 of the year of the exam to sit for boards.
• The ABIM requires 36 minimum months of GI training including 18 clinical months.
• Deficits of less than one month of fellowship training are deferred to the Program director to assure competency.
• According to the ABIM: “Training must be extended to make up any absences exceeding one month per year of training.” Depending on your planned length of maternity leave, you need to be prepared that you may need to make that time up and extend training. Make sure that you have investigated the impact this may have on your visa status (if applicable) or any advanced training or jobs that you have accepted.
• According to the ACGME Program requirements for GI:
  VI.C.2. Each program must have a process to ensure continuity of patient care in the event that a fellow may be unable to perform his/her patient care duties.
• According to the ACGME FAQ for subspecialties in IM, programs must request approval for all complement increases, even temporary increases such as maternity leave that extends a fellow’s duration of fellowship and results in increase in number of fellows, which can be done easily through ADS.
• While on maternity leave, remember deadlines such as dates to enroll for board exam, deadlines for future absence requests, etc.
• Remember that colleagues are likely going to have to alter schedules to help with your maternity coverage, so make sure you remain flexible to help others out when they have personal issues arise.
• There is no benefit to hiding your pregnancy from your fellowship or your job, as it will only cause ill-will if you do not allow time for planning to cover the absence.
• Become familiar with the policies related to maternity leave at your job, such as how much is paid versus unpaid, how benefits are affected, etc.

How do I become a Fellow (FACG) in the American College of Gastroenterology?

Criteria:

• Proposal and endorsement by two Fellows of the College (requires letters).
• Current uninterrupted membership for a period of no less than 3 years (this does not include membership during GI fellowship).
• During the membership period, you need to demonstrate scholarly activities, including continuing education, professional leadership, and excellence in the fields of clinical practice and/or academic medicine.
• You need to successfully complete a minimum of 3 CME programs sponsored by ACG within the last 6 years and provide evidence of involvement in ACG activities (i.e. committees, etc.). Attending both the postgraduate course and the scientific session at the same Annual Meeting counts as TWO programs.
• Documentation of certification by ABIM, subspecialty Boards in Gastroenterology, or its equivalent.
• Submit a completed Advancement to Fellowship Application (available on the ACG website at www.gi.org under the Membership tab) which will need to include a copy of your most recent CV and a $50 application fee.

Benefits:

• Becoming a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology is an honor granted to members of the ACG in recognition of professional achievement and competence in the field of Gastroenterology.
• Allows you to support future colleagues in getting promoted to a Fellow.
• Allows you to serve on the Board of Directors for ACG and will make more opportunities available to you to serve within the American College of Gastroenterology.
• May help with promotion as many institutions consider national recognition in major societies as a promotion criteria.