Expand Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Fellowships to Address Pediatric Subspecialty Shortage

Currently, the pediatric subspecialties are facing a workforce crisis that threatens access to specialized care for children with complex and chronic medical conditions here in the United States. Many pediatric subspecialty fellowship programs struggle to fill training positions, raising concern about the sustainability of the future workforce in those subspecialties. The factors contributing to the shortage have been posited as relating to lower compensation and higher rates of burnout. Compared to Internal Medicine subspecialists, many pediatric subspecialties offer significantly lower compensation and longer training. We propose that increasing the number of opportunities for graduates of Internal Medicine Pediatric residencies to enter combined Internal Medicine-Pediatric Fellowships will help offset the decreasing number of pediatric subspecialists. .