Training in interventional pulmonology: a leap into the future.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review holds significant relevance and is timely; as of June 2022, the United States Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) formally recognized interventional pulmonary medicine as a novel subspecialty with a unique fellowship training program pathway beyond Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. This recognition stands as a culmination of extensive efforts spanning decades, aimed at establishing a specialized training program for interventional pulmonary medicine beyond traditional Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship in the United States. Globally, there are apprenticeship models in non-US programs with ongoing efforts to further standardize training in interventional pulmonary medicine. It underscores the progressive evolution and innovative nature inherent to this subspecialty, signifying a distinctive leap forward in medical education and practice, which calls for further inventive development of training tools and standardized educational delivery. RECENT FINDINGS: Newly discovered insights from the recent literature review will highlight methodologies of procedural education and innovative training approaches. These findings will underscore the significance of standardized curriculum development within the field as well as ongoing challenges. SUMMARY: Identifying and addressing future challenges in integrating new technologies into clinical education and broadening the educational scope of trainees in this newly recognized subspecialty is crucial for enhancing competency. The implications of moving toward a more standardized process, creating new clinical pathways with research, and adopting emerging minimally invasive technologies aim to impact patient outcomes in both nonmalignant and malignant thoracic diseases. This progressive shift is redefining the specialty, moving beyond specific procedures, and pivoting towards a more distinct educational pathway. Such a transformation will lead to more diverse, comprehensive, and evidence-based driven patient care delivery.

Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship Training: End of the Beginning.

Interventional pulmonology (IP) fellowship training has undergone increased popularity and growth. The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education recently recognized IP medicine as a new subspecialty, which leads to new challenges and opportunities for a young subspecialty. Although the specialty-specific requirements are in progress, IP fellowship programs must plan ahead for the known common program requirements and anticipated accreditation process. The educational leadership in IP must identify and execute solutions to sustain continued excellence. This includes transitioning to a new regulatory environment with issues of funding new fellowships, keeping up to date with training/assessment of new procedures, and shaping the future through recruitment of talent to lead the young subspecialty.