Adolescent medicine: A new paediatric subspecialty in Canada.

Abstract

Over the past 30 years in Canada, adolescent medicine has achieved a distinct role within the field of paediatrics. An increasing number of Canadian paediatricians have chosen to subspecialize in adolescent medicine, despite the fact that it had not previously been a certified sub-specialty in the country. Until quite recently, paediatricians who were interested in pursuing subspecialty training in this field either trained in the United States where adolescent medicine had been accredited since 1994, or completed subspecialty training in one of a small number of nonaccredited programs in Canada (The Hospital for Sick Children [Toronto, Ontario], Montreal Children’s Hospital and Sainte-Justine UHC [Montreal, Quebec]). A combination of changes in clinical practice, scientific advances, paediatric training needs and expectations, a growing adolescent population and societal changes have contributed to defining the need for this new field within paediatrics (1). Over the past three years, a group of Canadian paediatricians with subspecialty training in adolescent medicine have pursued paediatric subspecialty certification for adolescent medicine through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). This endeavour has met with success, and adolescent medicine has recently been recognized by the RCPSC as a subspecialty of paediatrics.