News and briefs: Palliative care specialty attracts young physicians

As the palliative care field continues to grow, so does the number of young physicians in the field. According to an article in the San Jose Mercury News, experts have mixed reactions about whether age matters.

The SUPPORT study, which is the largest study on end-of-life care, found that elderly patients were unlikely to disclose important medical information to young physicians. "We found that patients did not tell interviewers about certain things until the interviewers were older—that is, past 60," she said. "So, young doctors are going to have to make a special effort to get this sort of information."

Young physicians will have to learn how to overcome this challenge because as of January 2012, physicians that want to become board certified in hospice and palliative care by the American Board of Medical Specialties have to complete a one-year training program in palliative care; older physicians are no longer be grandfathered into the specialty.  

To read more pros and cons of young physicians dominating the palliative care field, click here.