What is Adolescent Medicine?

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In short, Adolescent Medicine doctors are board certified sub-specialists in the field of Pediatrics (or Family Medicine or Internal Medicine) who provide full-service care of tweens, teens and young adults.⁣
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A relatively young field, it began in the 1960s and the first complete, multidisciplinary academic Division in the country, was created where I currently work at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, NY. ⁣
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The first accredited fellowships started to train doctors who wanted to specialize in teen health in 1998. Today, many people, including physicians, still have not heard of this specialty. Each year our country only produces 25-30 new adolescent medicine doctors, so there are not as many of us as are needed. I am proud to be a fellowship training program director in Bronx, NY.⁣
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In some places, Adolescent Medicine docs do primary care, in others they are primarily consultants, just like gastroenterology or endocrinology, for speciality care. Most adolescent medicine doctors work in academic settings like clinics and hospitals attached to a medical school or a large health system, but some also pursue private practice. School health and college health physicians & directors are often Adolescent Medicine trained. You may also find Adolescent Medicine doctors working in community sites like foster care agencies, residential health facilities, juvenile detention centers, or title X funded health centers serving teens. Some reasons, to seek a referral to an

Adolescent Medicine specialist include:⁣

  • Acne⁣

  • Breast Disorders⁣

  • Sexual and Reproductive Health Care⁣

  • Gynecologic Care ⁣

  • Menstrual Disorders⁣

  • LGBTQIA+ Care⁣

  • Transgender Health⁣

  • Mental Health and Wellness⁣

  • Eating Disorders⁣

  • Sleep Disorders⁣

  • Obesity ⁣

  • Substance Abuse ⁣

  • Sports Medicine⁣

  • Young Men’s Health

If you are looking for an Adolescent Medicine doc, like myself, ask your teen’s Pediatrician or Family Medicine doctor to make a referral or visit the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine’s home page and follow “Find an adolescent medicine health professional.

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