The medical education reform of the early twentieth century in the United States increased obstacles for women in medicine, who already had to fight against societal gender expectations to practice medicine. These obstacles were temporarily relieved during wartime in the United States, which saw drastic increases in women studying and practicing medicine. As medical schools emptied as men were drafted for war, women began entering medical schools. Desperation for physicians both on the home front and overseas increased opportunities for women to practice medicine. This progress was not lasting outside of wartime, however, as returning veterans displaced the women with newfound positions in the medical field. This progress was not secure for women physicians without legal protection to fight discrimination against women in the medical field. This analysis examines the impact of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War on women physicians in the United States.