The Development and Current Status of Subspecialty Training and Certification in Addiction Psychiatry

This article describes the evolution of subspecialty training and certification in addiction psychiatry. The impact of the newer subspecialty in addiction medicine is also addressed. Information about programs and trainees was obtained from records of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Information about addiction psychiatry certification was obtained from the records of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Information about the addiction medicine subspecialty was obtained from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. In AY 2020–2021, there were 53 addiction psychiatry programs with 92 fellows, and the numbers of each have increased over the past 5 academic years. The total number of addiction psychiatry certificates awarded through 2020 was 2806. Three years after addiction medicine programs were first accredited, there were 83 programs with 149 fellows. Thus far, 3282 addiction medicine certificates have been awarded, 1275 (38.8%) of them to ABPN diplomates. In the 30 years since addiction psychiatry received subspecialty recognition, the numbers of training programs and fellows have grown steadily and are continuing to increase. Recently, the numbers of training programs and fellows in the newer subspecialty of addiction medicine have grown rapidly with substantial psychiatry involvement in addiction medicine training and certification programs. Nonetheless, it is apparent that the need for specialists with expertise in substance use disorders will far exceed the supply for the foreseeable future.