Quo Vadimus?
On the 50th anniversary of the founding of the American Academy of Pediatrics, members paused to look back at past accomplishments. It is worth noting that the specialty was frequently criticized during these five decades for recruiting too many physicians into the relatively new field of medical activity. But the criticism had little effect; the corps of pediatricians grew rapidly. The ratio of pediatricians to children is now strikingly high when compared with Western countries in which the role of the specialist is that of a consultant to others who provide primary care (Table).
