Attrition rates of pediatric emergency medicine fellowship graduates.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the percentage of alumni of one Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) fellowship program who consider themselves to still practice in the field.

METHODS

A brief survey (5 questions) was sent to all physicians who began the PEM fellowship program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham between the years 1986 and 2006. Survey included demographics, length of time out of fellowship, present work location, and whether the respondent considered themselves to be in the field of pediatric emergency medicine.

RESULTS

Forty-three physicians were identified as beginning fellowship between 1986 and 2006. One physician was excluded as she was deceased. Forty (95%) of the 42 individuals graduated from a PEM fellowship program. Analyzing the 39 responding PEM graduates, 29 (74%) consider themselves practicing pediatric emergency medicine. Six (60%) of those not considered practicing in PEM (n = 10) are women. Four of these 10 individuals are still in academic medicine. Overall attrition rate for this cohort of PEM fellowship-trained physicians is 25.6% (95% confidence interval, 13.0-42.1).

CONCLUSION

Overall attrition rates of fellowship-trained PEM physicians seems to mirror that of adult trained counterparts.