Survey of physician fellows in adolescent medicine

A national survey of physician fellows in adolescent medicine from 1974 to 1979 was made. One hundred forty-six fellows were identified; 107 responded to the questionnaire. Of the 40 listed programs for 1978-1979, 29 had at least one fellow during the survey period. Eleven filled every year. Eighty-three per cent of the respondents had taken a pediatric residency, 48% were in a full-time academic or institutional program, and 56% spent 75-100% of their professional time in adolescent health care. When asked to assess whether 15 different content areas were adequately covered in their fellowships, significant content deficiencies were identified. The most frequently recommended changes were for more inpatient care (30%), opportunity to do research (25%), and more involvement with psychosocial problems (22%). Two-year fellows indicated more satisfaction with the specific content areas. More attention should be given to two-year fellowships for those physicians with serious interest in academic or institutional careers.