The Critical Subspecialist Gap in Pediatric Dermatology: Trends in Fellowship Data From 2009 to 2023.

BACKGROUND

The field of pediatric dermatology continues to experience a critical workforce shortage, which negatively impacts specialized care for children with dermatologic conditions.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze pediatric dermatology fellowship applicant data and match rate trends from 2009 to 2023, board certification of new pediatric dermatologists from 2010 to 2023, and assess workforce trends and identify potential challenges in the pipeline of pediatric dermatologists.

METHODS

This retrospective study examined data provided by the Society of Pediatric Dermatology and San Francisco Match for pediatric dermatology fellowships from 2009 to 2023 and board certification information from the American Board of Dermatology.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed a limited number of board-eligible fellowship applicants despite the availability of multiple fellowship programs, with an average of 32% of programs failing to match fellows. Board certification rates varied, with an increase over time in non-board-eligible fellow applicants. The geographic distribution of fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologists showed regional disparities.

LIMITATIONS: Some pediatric dermatology fellows may enter fellowship outside of the official match process, not captured in the data. We used a public search engine for practice data, and it is possible that misclassification occurred.

CONCLUSION

In recent decades, the dire need for pediatric dermatologists has exceeded the available workforce, with numerous fellowship programs remaining unfilled.