Adolescent Medicine
A relatively new medical specialty, adolescent medicine is dedicated entirely to the care of teens and young adults. In 1968, health care professionals interested in the care of young people founded the Society for Adolescent Medicine, now an international association with over 1,000 members. As a specialty, adolescent medicine has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1977, and specialty board certification has been available since 1994. Physicians who are adolescent medicine specialists have generally completed advanced fellowship training, and have unique skills in addressing the physical and emotional health needs of teenagers and young adults.