The Journey and Relevant Influences for the 15-month Pathway Addressing the Pediatric Radiology Workforce Shortage

The number of trainees pursuing pediatric radiology as a subspecialty is decreasing. Multiple formal and informal discussions have led to a variety of proposed solutions to address the workforce shortage in pediatric radiology. This article focuses on the proposal, approval, and future considerations of an American Board of Radiology (ABR) 15-month pediatric radiology pathway, which includes both certification for diagnostic radiology and subspecialty certification in pediatric radiology, similar to the existing ABR nuclear radiology pathway. The following discussion includes survey data from pediatric radiology leadership Society of Chiefs of Radiology at Children’s Hospitals (SCORCH) and pediatric radiology fellowship program directors on the creation of such a pathway. The results show agreement from leaders in pediatric radiology that an accelerated pathway to ABR certification would help to alleviate the shortage of pediatric radiologists and that the current diagnostic radiology resident training would be impacted by this pathway. Further discussions including this data and an open forum at the 2024 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting led to the recent approval of the 15-month pediatric radiology pathway by the ABR Board of Governors. The implementation of this pathway will be a potential opportunity in addressing the pediatric radiology workforce shortage to better serve pediatric care.