Despite the growing need for primary care and generalists, 2015 was a record-breaking year for subspecialty fellowship appointments, according to TexasMedicine, the journal of the Texas Medical Association.
The report points to data from the National Resident Matching Program, which reported more than 9,500 applied for 8,500 fellowship positions in 2014 and early 2015, and 78 percent scored appointments set to begin this July. Of allopathic programs with at least 30 positions, the most popular subspecialty fellowships were gynecologic oncology, pediatric surgery, hand surgery, interventional radiology and neuroradiology, according to the report.
Increased interest in fellowships has led to rapid growth in positions since 2000, especially in specialties like cardiology and gastroenterology, Thomas Nasca, MD, CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, told TexasMedicine. In fact, the growth rate of fellowships has surpassed the growth rate of residencies, he said in the report.
Part of the growth can also be credited to newly created subspecialties — the number of certified specialties and subspecialties has grown from 113 in 2003 to 161 in 2015, according to the report.
Young physicians are increasingly choosing these subspecialty positions in part because of the higher rates of reimbursement, but mainly because of personal interest in the field. Pursuing a fellowship means physicians must delay income by another three years, the report notes.
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