The necessary evolution of diabetes fellowships in the United States

ABSTRACT

The number of Americans affected by diabetes continues to increase but the number of endocrinologists with specialty training to treat this population has not kept up with demand. Primary care outpatient visits can also not meet the projected diabetes population demands or the needs for other complex diabetes management issues. Treatments for diabetes including both medications and technologies continue to expand and become more complex. In response to these challenges there have been primary care physicians seeking specialized training to become diabetologists. This can fill some of the gaps left by a lack of resources in the U.S. healthcare system.

KEYWORDS:

• Diabetes
• diabetes management
• primary care training
• graduate medical education

Declaration of funding

No funding was received to produce this article.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

AH is the diabetes fellowship program director at Ohio University

SA is the diabetes fellowship program director at Touro

JS is the former diabetes fellowship program director at Ohio University and Touro University.

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.