Advocacy
Career Development
Children with Chronic Conditions
Community Pediatrics
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health
Health Services Research
Medical Education
Public Health
Trainee
Rebecca Blankenburg, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)
Associate Dean of GME and DIO, Clinical Professor
Pediatrics
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California, United States
In March 2024, the pediatric community was startled by an 8% unmatched rate in the NRMP initial (pre-SOAP) match. However, leaders in pediatrics have been engaged in addressing the decreasing numbers of medical students going into pediatrics for the past 5 years. Challenges include salary inequities between pediatric and adult providers, long length of subspecialty training, geographic maldistribution of physicians, regionalization of pediatric care with high community hospital pediatric bed closures, and decreased pediatrics exposure in medical school. The recent NASEM Report on Workforce made several recommendations regarding how to best address this crisis.
In this informative and interactive plenary, leaders of the AMSPDC Workforce Initiative will share an overview of workforce challenges, opportunities, and innovations. We will share data about the numbers of learners/providers at each step in the pediatric pathway and specific challenges our specialty faces. We will then share a brief overview of the 2025 AMSPDC Workforce Initiative as well as the NASEM study and recommendations for the pediatrics workforce. Leaders of each of the four domains of the new AMSPDC Workforce Initiative (Economic Strategy, Education Redesign, Physician Scientists, and Practice Collaboration) will then provide an overview of our strategic plan and ongoing efforts. A panel representing numerous pediatric organizations will then reflect on and answer questions about the strategic plans. Participants will leave with tangible ideas for improving the pathway into pediatrics at their own institutions, as well as identify opportunities for further innovation nationally.
