Descriptive Study of Job Opportunities in the Allergy Field.

Abstract

Allergy is a fairly young medical specialty that has been practiced in Spain since 1926 and was officially recognized in 1978 with a specific training program. The Spanish Society of Allergy was constituted in 1948 and has been known as the Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) since 1974. Today, it comprises 1518 associates, 15% of whom are under 35 years old. Data on junior members’ employment status gives a subjective impression of a low supply of jobs, thus diminishing the attraction of allergy for many doctors choosing a specialty. The objective of this letter is to describe the current employment situation of young allergists, their job opportunities after training, the percentage of unemployment, and the percentage who abandon the specialty. Possible strategies can be proposed by SEAIC to promote the visibility of specialists and initiatives to increase the attractiveness of allergology.