ACR Endorses New Training Model for Pediatric Subspecialties Save

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) welcomes the recent announcement from the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) outlining new training models for pediatric subspecialties. Given the collaborative work ACR has engaged in over the years, this is an important step forward in reimagining pediatric subspecialty training.

The development of these new models reflects sustained collaboration across the pediatric community, including partnerships with the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties (CoPS), the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC), and the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD). ACR leadership and members have also engaged in ongoing discussions with ABP leadership throughout this process.

“During this milestone year as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of pediatric rheumatology becoming a subspeciality, we are especially encouraged to see meaningful progress in training innovation,” said Ekemini A. Ogbu, MD, MSc, Chair of the ACR Committee on Pediatric Rheumatology. “This achievement reflects years of collaboration and persistence among ACR members, partner organizations, and leaders across the pediatric community. We are proud of the role our committee and ACR leadership have played in advancing these efforts.”

As outlined by ABP, the new competency-based model introduces two training pathways across all pediatric subspecialties. Fellows may pursue a clinically oriented pathway that allows completion of training in two years upon demonstration of readiness for unsupervised clinical practice, with an optional third year available for scholarship, research, or advanced training. The earliest anticipated implementation is for fellows entering training in July 2028, pending coordination with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and additional planning.

For pediatric rheumatology, these changes have the potential to positively influence workforce development and patient care access.

“This model has the potential to address longstanding barriers to entering pediatric subspecialties, including the length and cost of training,” said Beth Jonas, MD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Workforce Solutions Committee. “By creating more flexible pathways, we hope to improve recruitment into pediatric rheumatology and strengthen the clinical workforce—ultimately improving access to care and reducing wait times for patients and families. We also see this as an important first step toward addressing broader workforce challenges.”

While the announcement marks significant progress, key details remain under development, including potential updates to the ACGME requirements, institutional implementation considerations, and the definition of competency benchmarks. ACR has actively contributed to this ongoing work, including surveying members on competency expectations within flexible training models. Results from this survey are currently being analyzed and will inform future recommendations and publications.

ACR remains committed to working with partners across the pediatric community as ABP continues stakeholder engagement through upcoming listening sessions and webinars.