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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
The pediatric dermatology workforce shortage isn't getting better. A new study found that 32% of fellowship programs fail to match candidates annually, with a shrinking pool of board-eligible applicants and growing regional gaps in care. Experts say fixing compensation inequities and boosting training interest are key to turning the tide.
The demand for pediatric dermatologists is outpacing supply, and a new retrospective study in Pediatric Dermatology lays out just how stark the gap has become. Analyzing fellowship data from 2009 to 2023, researchers found a persistently small applicant pool — averaging just 19 applicants per year — with 32% of programs failing to match fellows annually. The situation worsened in 2023, when the applicant match rate dropped to 81% and non-board-eligible applicants surged to eight, up from just one in 2020.
Geographic disparities compound the problem. Post-pandemic migration away from urban areas has contributed to a 6% cumulative decrease in children under age 5 in cities, further straining access to subspecialty care. Most fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologists cluster in academic hubs, and over half stay in the same region where they trained.
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Why it matters: Compensation models that reward volume and procedures put pediatric dermatologists — who see more complex cases and a higher share of Medicaid patients — at a financial disadvantage. The American Board of Dermatology has introduced new training pathways, but experts say systemic incentive reform is essential to meaningfully expand the workforce and ensure equitable care for children.
