HOW DOES A NEW MEDICAL PROFESSION COME TO LIFE

AIMS: In our article we seek to describe the initiation of new medical specialty fields in Israel, including the different considerations in the decision-making process and recent trends. BACKGROUND: Physicians' specialization by postgraduate training and specialty certification satisfies the publics' need for high quality medical treatment, supports medical institutions confidence in their medical staff qualifications, guarantees physicians' social accountability and is also linked with positive medical results. Nevertheless, fragmentation of medicine enfolds a hazard to continuity of medical care and loss of holistic perspectives, as well as hazards of systematic malfunction such as brain drain in vital basic specialties and high costs. METHODS: Information was gathered from the protocols of relevant deliberations conducted at the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association, dealing with the initiation of new medical specialty fields and from relevant regulations. Numerical data was extracted from the IMA database. The information gathered was qualitatively analyzed by Template Analysis. RESULTS: Over two decades ranging between 1999 and 2019, three new medical specialties were initiated, including Emergency Medicine (1999), Pain Relief Medicine (2008) and Palliative Medicine (2012). The initiation of two other specialties, Invasive Neuro-Radiology and Metabolic Diseases, is still under process. The field of Child Development has joined an existing specialty in Pediatric Neurology, becoming a new specialty in Pediatric Neurology and Child Development in 2008, a new route for Pediatric Emergency Medicine branched out of Emergency Medicine (2008) and a new route for Pediatric Rheumatology branched out of Rheumatology (2013). We describe the different considerations taken into account, the prerequisites to initiation and milestones of the process, including grandfathering and accreditation. CONCLUSIONS: The trend of specialization in more medical fields will probably continue in the foreseen future. It will therefore continue to challenge the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association with complex decision-making regarding the initiation of new medical professions or new routes within exciting professions.