Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Specialists, subspecialists, special interest

OK, one of my famous non-IT, non-AC questions about medicine. A question asking for the opinions of others.

As most know, and I believe it says, I am a pediatrician. Pediatrics is OK. But, I am much more interested in Behavioral and Developmental medicine, specifically psychiatric and even more specifically ADHD and Anxiety/Depression/Mood disorders. In order to ask this question, I have to come across with little modesty. I am a good pediatrician, and I do OK in mosts of the areas of pediatrics, but I love treating children and adolescents with psychiatric diagnoses. And, I would like to think I am very good at treating patients with ADHD/ADD.

To put it in perspective, I am the number one prescribed of Concerta (now only prescribed as methylphenidate ER, Vyvanse, Metadate CD and Adderall XR. I am number two in Focalin XR. This is from data from pharmaceutical companies in Maine. Now, maybe that doesn't mean I am good at ADHD treatment; maybe it just means I write for more ADHD meds than my contemporaries.

Anyway with that aside, I would like to ask my question. Since I can't quit pediatrics or retire, I would like to move my practice closer to mental health. I would like to take a lot of steps to do this. But, one of those steps would be advertising. And, in that advertising I would like to state that I specialize in ADHD.

How far can I go in what I say. Can only fellowship trained physicians say they are specialized or they are "specialists?" If I can't say that, can I say I have a special interest.

Without naming too many titles, if the specialists or pediatricians out there, could just comment on what I am trying to ask, it would be appreciated.

I am neither a pediatrician nor a specialist, but I know in my area doctors have advertised themselves as dermatologists without having had any formal derm training, and I've known internists that called themselves cardiologists as they had special interest and background in cardiology. I think you can call yourself whatever you want, especially in your case since it's a true statement you specialize in pediatric/adolescent ADHD and mood disorders. You just can't put as many acronyms after your name.

Thanks. That is helpful. It seems cardiologist or dermatologist would be going too far.

I hope to get a lot of responses from specialists. Certainly, a) this won't take business from psychiatrists or neurologists. The wait times are nearly three months, and the psychiatrists are pretty much cash only.

How about "board certified in pediatrics with special emphasis on ADD/ADHD"?

If you say "specializing in ADHD", you are not saying anything about certification. If you say "certified in ..." you would be.
I also have experienced a number of docs who are trained in one area but either doing a subcategory or in a somewhat different field. What counts is experience and comfort and familiarity with the field, all of which I have little doubt you have in ADHD.

Thanks David and Wendell. Just hope if I run some ads, I don't catch any flack. It's a competitive pediatrics field here with no love lost even among their own groups. One large group owned by the largest medical center and the other is the FQHC.

They take out huge ads saying evening hours and weekend hours, etc. but all I hear from my patients is "We never got to see the same person, and they didn't listen to me."

Agree with Wendell. You can't go wrong stating a verifiable fact. And what you hear is the common refrain resulting from patients who see doctors who treat medicine as a business and not a profession.

It never ceases to amaze me when I see a patient who has transferred to me from another doctor, not necessarily because of an issue. Just did. And, they say there ADHD meds don't work. And, then I find out they are on 10 mg of Vyvanse or 5 mg of methylphenidate. Some doctors are just scared of these meds. The same way I am with a calcium channel blocker, etc.