Using the Definition of Subspecialty: Subspecialty Guidance
Using the subspecialty definition, consider the below bulleted questions to determine the extent to which your proposed subspecialty might meet the recognition criteria.
Definition
A subspecialty is a concentrated area of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that:
exists within at least one recognized {parent} specialty;
requires additional education, training, and/or professional experiences;
involves specific (1) problems, (2) populations, and/or (3) circumscribed approaches.
Questions
Who is your parent specialty?
What are the additional education, training, and/or professional experiences that define your subspecialty with respect to your identified parent specialty? (How) Are these aspects reflected in a taxonomy by the petitioning organization?
How are the problems, populations, and/or circumscribed approaches in the subspecialty more focused or circumspect than the problems addressed in the parent specialty?
As an overarching question, it may be helpful to consider how your subspecialty has evolved out of the identified parent specialty.
