Can I call myself a specialist legally

[Doohickey550]

Hi,
I am a second year family medicine resident and I plan on going into adolescent medicine once finished with residency. However, I do not intend to pursue a fellowship in this specialty and instead, I am focusing on this age group during residency and doing electives and core rotations in relevant areas whenever possible.
Will there be any issue advertising myself as an “adolescent medicine specialist”? I would like to call myself “board certified in family medicine and specializing in adolescent medicine”.
is there any issue from a legal/ethical/false advertising perspective?
In reality, I will indeed be an adolescent medicine specialist, both due to training and experience, just without board certification in that sub specialty.
Thanks for any input.

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[rokshana]

Hi,
I am a second year family medicine resident and I plan on going into adolescent medicine once finished with residency. However, I do not intend to pursue a fellowship in this specialty and instead, I am focusing on this age group during residency and doing electives and core rotations in relevant areas whenever possible.
Will there be any issue advertising myself as an “adolescent medicine specialist”? I would like to call myself “board certified in family medicine and specializing in adolescent medicine”.
is there any issue from a legal/ethical/false advertising perspective?
In reality, I will indeed be an adolescent medicine specialist, both due to training and experience, just without board certification in that sub specialty.
Thanks for any input.

Seems like that is a bit deceptive...why not just do the fellowship?

 

[Doohickey550]

Seems like that is a bit deceptive...why not just do the fellowship?

Far too long and I frankly don’t see the value of 2-3 additional years with a huge percentage of the time spent on academics - which I’m not interested in.
It’s not deceptive to say that I specialize in adolescents - I am FM trained which obviously includes that age group and I am focusing on that age group during training and beyond. My main concern is whether there is any actual legal or ethical issue with stating it as a “specialty”.

 

[hallowmann]

Far too long and I frankly don’t see the value of 2-3 additional years with a huge percentage of the time spent on academics - which I’m not interested in.
It’s not deceptive to say that I specialize in adolescents - I am FM trained which obviously includes that age group and I am focusing on that age group during training and beyond. My main concern is whether there is any actual legal or ethical issue with stating it as a “specialty”.

Specialists are specialized because of their training. The fellowship is what gives you that specialized training. Just because you see adolescents that does not make you "specialized in adolescent medicine". If you want to specialize in it, do the fellowship, take the exam, and ideally get the CAQ.

Calling yourself a specialist without the training is horribly misleading and akin to saying that you specialize in dermatology because, you know you are a family med doc and treat dermatologic conditions, or that you specialize in psychiatry because you treat psychiatric conditions.

At best I think without a fellowship, you could say something like, "specializing in adolescents", but that too is misleading in my opinion, but certainly more accurate.

Now whether its illegal is highly dependent on your state and the state board, but I think this would open you up to a lot more liability and malpractice suits if anything bad were to happen.

 

[deleted87716]

What are you going to do, refuse to accept patients who aren't between the age of 10 and 19...? Good luck with that. Those kids almost never go to the doctor.

 

[Doohickey550]

What are you going to do, refuse to accept patients who aren't between the age of 10 and 19...? Good luck with that. Those kids almost never go to the doctor.

Perhaps you didn’t understand the question. I’m not asking advice on whether I should go into adolescent medicine or whether such a field exists. Thanks for your interest.

 

[robellis]

Hi,
I am a second year family medicine resident and I plan on going into adolescent medicine once finished with residency. However, I do not intend to pursue a fellowship in this specialty and instead, I am focusing on this age group during residency and doing electives and core rotations in relevant areas whenever possible.
Will there be any issue advertising myself as an “adolescent medicine specialist”? I would like to call myself “board certified in family medicine and specializing in adolescent medicine”.
is there any issue from a legal/ethical/false advertising perspective?
In reality, I will indeed be an adolescent medicine specialist, both due to training and experience, just without board certification in that sub specialty.
Thanks for any input.

No you’re not a specialist..lol..just because someone has an interest in something doesn’t make them a specialist..if you took extra cardiology rotations and liked the heart that doesn’t make you a cardiologist..this is absolutely deceptive

 

[wysdoc]

Hi,
I am a second year family medicine resident and I plan on going into adolescent medicine once finished with residency. However, I do not intend to pursue a fellowship in this specialty and instead, I am focusing on this age group during residency and doing electives and core rotations in relevant areas whenever possible.
Will there be any issue advertising myself as an “adolescent medicine specialist”? I would like to call myself “board certified in family medicine and specializing in adolescent medicine”.
is there any issue from a legal/ethical/false advertising perspective?
In reality, I will indeed be an adolescent medicine specialist, both due to training and experience, just without board certification in that sub specialty.
Thanks for any input.

You have to be really careful with "advertising" as in newspaper, web page claims.
When you settle in an area, go visit pediatricians and other FPs and introduce yourself. Tell them you want to add patients in this age range and ask them to keep you in mind. Let families in your FP practice know you are up to date on adolescents.
You will be limited by the fact that so many adolescents quit going to the doctor at all in their teens - once they are done with all immunizations their parents quit bringing them in. As a pediatrician, I usually saw them one last time for pre-college physicals & that was it.

 

[Mad Jack]

Just say "with a focus on adolescent medicine." Problem solved, enjoy

 

[rokshana]

Just say "with a focus on adolescent medicine." Problem solved, enjoy

Still saying medicine after that can be deceptive... maybe focus on treating adolescents...?

 

[Mad Jack]

Still saying medicine after that can be deceptive... maybe focus on treating adolescents...?

You can say adolescent medicine, you just can't say you're a specialist (well, technically you could even say you're a specialist, given that most state laws don't give much of a damn about that sort of things, consult your local lawyer for details). Just my two cents though, it's the most viable and likely to be legal and ethical way to say you do the thing without claiming to be a specialist in the thing

 

[linguistafeliz]

I think it's fine to say "Focus in adolescent medicine" and I don't think that's misleading.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I'd say even "focus on adolescent medicine" is deceptive since adolescent medicine is a real field. Maybe try using "adolescent healthcare." I definitely would avoid anything with the words "specializing" when you haven't done the training

 

[galactus]

Focus or interest in adolescent medicine is fine. It's no different when you see physician profiles online and see their interests in global health, women's health, minor procedures, preventive services, LGBTQ health, transgender health, etc.

Saying you specialize in it inherently means you have some sort of certificate of proof that you are a specialist in it. It's not going to fly. At least in Texas (where I practice), you cannot say you specialize in something unless you are boarded in it.

Where I did residency we did rotations in the undergrad student health. Some of the physicians were boarded in adolescent, but the majority were either pediatricians or FM docs who didn't

Back in the day I briefly considered doing an adolescent medicine fellowship....then I realized it was 3 years lol. Sports was only 1 year and I get to deal with adolescents regularly, so I'm totally ok with it.

 

[TableMD]

Insane.

why not switch into peds?

If you don’t like treating adults, the extra two years for the adolescent fellowship to do it right or the extra three years to become a pediatrician is nothing in comparison to the likely 20 to 30+ years of practice you have in front of you.

I don’t think that simply telling prospective patients that you prefer to see adolescent patients exclusively is going to be enough to build a successful practice and I can’t imagine a family practice group or other healthcare entity taking you on with these parameters in place.

 

[deleted87716]

I don’t think that simply telling prospective patients that you prefer to see adolescent patients exclusively is going to be enough to build a successful practice and I can’t imagine a family practice group or other healthcare entity taking you on with these parameters in place.

 

[Doohickey550]

Insane.

why not switch into peds?

If you don’t like treating adults, the extra two years for the adolescent fellowship to do it right or the extra three years to become a pediatrician is nothing in comparison to the likely 20 to 30+ years of practice you have in front of you.

I don’t think that simply telling prospective patients that you prefer to see adolescent patients exclusively is going to be enough to build a successful practice and I can’t imagine a family practice group or other healthcare entity taking you on with these parameters in place.

I don’t think “insane” is accurate, but thanks for your opinion.

I personally think that FM is actually a much better route than pediatrics for adolescent medicine. I intend to see patients up to age 25 or so and as an FP I am getting the training necessary for that scope as compared to limiting myself to pediatrics. I would also consider keeping patients on beyond 25 if they wish to stay - which again would be better from FM than peds.
Additionally, I will have spent more than 25% of my training in a peds or adolescent setting.

 

[deleted87716]

I intend to see patients up to age 25 or so

But...they aren’t adolescents at that point, even if they still live in their parents’ basement. And, they still almost never go to the doctor, so...there’s that. Practice building isn’t simply wishing something into existence.

 

[wysdoc]

The perfect job for you will be the doctor at a student health service in a large college. Adolescents all day and all night. The college would be thrilled to get an upstanding physician who likes to see this age group.

 

[deleted87716]

The perfect job for you will be the doctor at a student health service in a large college. Adolescents all day and all night. The college would be thrilled to get an upstanding physician who likes to see this age group.

 

[Doohickey550]

But...they aren’t adolescents at that point, even if they still live in their parents’ basement. And, they still almost never go to the doctor, so...there’s that. Practice building isn’t simply wishing something into existence.

My interest is adolescents and young adults. I can’t “wish” it into being, but I can try to build a practice in the way that I want. God provides.

 

[Doohickey550]

The perfect job for you will be the doctor at a student health service in a large college. Adolescents all day and all night. The college would be thrilled to get an upstanding physician who likes to see this age group.

Something to consider, but my goal is to have my own practice.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

My interest is adolescents and young adults. I can’t “wish” it into being, but I can try to build a practice in the way that I want. God provides.

Sometimes

 

[Keona]

Something to consider, but my goal is to have my own practice.

I also like this age group but they really don’t come to the doctor often. My largest way of recruiting them is by taking care of their grandparents who force their parents to schedule appointments with me. College areas are likely where you’ll be able to see the age group you want.

 

[yeasports]

Hi,
I am a second year family medicine resident and I plan on going into adolescent medicine once finished with residency. However, I do not intend to pursue a fellowship in this specialty and instead, I am focusing on this age group during residency and doing electives and core rotations in relevant areas whenever possible.
Will there be any issue advertising myself as an “adolescent medicine specialist”? I would like to call myself “board certified in family medicine and specializing in adolescent medicine”.
is there any issue from a legal/ethical/false advertising perspective?
In reality, I will indeed be an adolescent medicine specialist, both due to training and experience, just without board certification in that sub specialty.
Thanks for any input.

If you really like it, do the fellowship. I did a ton of sports with both FM and Ortho all 3 years of my residency; I thought I had a good grasp. In fellowship guess what I found out? You don't know what you don't know. Plus don't you want to be the best you can?

Ok ok you just don't want to. Try to join a pediatric practice as an FP. Promise you will take all their patients as they age out of the practice.

Or just do what you are going to do anyway and let Jesus take the wheel.

Come back and let us know what you did and how it worked out!

 

[scharnhorst]

Sometimes

beware of His WRATH as well

deceptive advertising may anger the heavenly father