The Path to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The United States has a critical shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists such that 70% of counties in the United States do not have any child and adolescent psychiatrists.1 Since 2014, the number of US and Canadian medical school applicants to psychiatry residencies has increased by 69%; however, the number of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship applicants has increased by only 11%.2 Up to two-thirds of psychiatry residents report considering a career in child and adolescent psychiatry; however, only one-fourth of residents ultimately apply for a child and adolescent psychiatry subspecialty training.3,4 We surveyed child and adolescent psychiatry fellows across the country to understand the different pathways into child and adolescent psychiatry, with the hope of providing program directors' and faculty mentors' guidance on how to generate interest in child and adolescent psychiatry and to support residents in this pursuit.