Threats to neonatologists' professional identity formation: ethical implications of condensing neonatal-perinatal fellowship.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2026
Identifier
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-026-02899-0
Abstract
The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) recently announced a plan to alter pediatric subspecialty fellowship training. Such changes pose meaningful ethical and psychosocial consequences on neonatologists' professional identity formation (PIF), including how they develop moral reasoning, experience and manage distress, and sustain themselves in practice. In the current state, the ABP's plan poses serious ethical risks, compromising not only the foundations of future neonatologists but also our mission to provide high-quality patient care. In this paper, we argue that it is an ethical imperative for Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) fellowship programs to nurture the evolving professional identities of learners who will guide future innovation and progress in the field, while providing education that supports ethical, family-centered, high-quality clinical care for the most vulnerable patients.
Journal Title
Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association
Volume
46
Issue
11
First Page
2237
Last Page
2241
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Neonatology; Fellowships and Scholarships; Neonatologists; Perinatology; United States; Infant, Newborn; Pediatrics; Social Identification
PubMed ID
42722767
Keywords
Neonatology; Fellowships and Scholarships; Neonatologists; Perinatology; United States; Pediatrics; Social Identification
Recommended Citation
Kukora SK, Gray MM, McLean CK, Krick J. Threats to neonatologists' professional identity formation: ethical implications of condensing neonatal-perinatal fellowship. J Perinatol. 2026;46(11):2237-2241. doi:10.1038/s41372-026-02899-0
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