Compressing neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship training: a critical appraisal of the American Board of Pediatrics proposed 2-year pathway

Brooke Vergales; Melissa Scala; Christie Bruno; Cynthia Crabtree; Megan Gray; Suma Hoffman; Courtney McLean; Deirdre O'Reilly; Vilmaris Quinones Cardona; Erynn M Bergner; Jennifer M Brady; Lindsay Johnston; Patrick Myers; Misty Good; Patrick J McNamara; Sara DeMauro; John Loyd; Jill Maron; Camilia R Martin; Steven J McElroy; Annemarie Stroustrup; Sarah N Taylor; Trent E Tipple; Ravi M Patel; Shetal Shah; Clara Song; Alexis Davis; Munish Gupta; Marilyn Escobedo; Heather French

doi:10.1038/s41372-026-02743-5

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Compressing neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship training: a critical appraisal of the American Board of Pediatrics proposed 2-year pathway

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Compressing neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship training: a critical appraisal of the American Board of Pediatrics proposed 2-year pathway

Brooke Vergales, Melissa Scala, Christie Bruno, Cynthia Crabtree, Megan Gray, Suma Hoffman, Courtney McLean, Deirdre O'Reilly, Vilmaris Quinones Cardona, Erynn M Bergner, …

Journal of perinatology

06/03/2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41372-026-02743-5

PMCID: PMC13290477

PMID: 42236995

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Abstract

The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) has proposed a competency-based fellowship model offering a 2-year clinical pathway with 18 training blocks and no scholarly requirement. This position statement, representing neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) training program directors, division leaders, and key stakeholders, contends that the model is not viable for NPM training. Compressing 18 clinical blocks into 24 months would require approximately 3500 annual training hours, nearly double a sustainable NICU workload, approaching Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hour limits, while reducing didactic education by one-third. Survey data from 110 of 111 NPM programs show 76% opposition. Concerns include trainee wellness, reduction in program complement, workforce and funding implications, and the erosion of scholarly training essential to advancing neonatal care. We propose alternatives, including a 2-year residency + 3-year fellowship (2 + 3) pathway and restructured residency tracks, addressing competency gaps while preserving training quality, duration, and collaborative governance.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Compressing neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship training: a critical appraisal of the American Board of Pediatrics proposed 2-year pathway
Creators: Brooke Vergales - Cohen Children's Medical Center
Melissa Scala - Palo Alto University
Christie Bruno - Yale University
Cynthia Crabtree - Kosair Children's Hospital
Megan Gray - University of Washington
Suma Hoffman - George Washington University Hospital
Courtney McLean - University of Nebraska Medical Center
Deirdre O'Reilly - University of Vermont
Vilmaris Quinones Cardona - Drexel University
Erynn M Bergner - University of Oklahoma
Jennifer M Brady - University of Cincinnati
Lindsay Johnston - Yale University
Patrick Myers - Northwestern University
Misty Good - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Patrick J McNamara - University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
Sara DeMauro - University of Pennsylvania
John Loyd - The University of Texas at Austin
Jill Maron - Brown University
Camilia R Martin - Cornell University
Steven J McElroy - University of California, Davis
Annemarie Stroustrup - Cohen Children's Medical Center
Sarah N Taylor - Yale University
Trent E Tipple - University of Oklahoma
Ravi M Patel - Emory University
Shetal Shah - New York Medical College
Clara Song - Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Anaheim, CA, USA
Alexis Davis - Palo Alto University
Munish Gupta - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Marilyn Escobedo - University of Oklahoma
Heather French - University of Pennsylvania
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of perinatology
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-026-02743-5
PMID: 42236995
PMCID: PMC13290477
NLM abbreviation: J Perinatol
ISSN: 1476-5543
eISSN: 1476-5543
Publisher: Nature
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 06/03/2026
Academic Unit: Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Neonatology
Record Identifier: 9985174710602771

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