Never-Ending Stories, the Loop in Pediatrics—How Many Pediatricians Need to be Trained in European Countries to Keep the Pediatric Workforce Stable?

In today’s world, looping seems to be a universal constant in many contexts—whether in music, media, politics, or healthcare. In pediatrics, the self-contained loop is an essential part of the never-ending question “What is the scope of pediatrics?” It is highly questionable whether any positive advantage exists for society when pediatricians from different countries practice endless, unresolved discussions within relatively closed circles about questions such as “what is a pediatrician?” or “how many pediatricians are needed nationally to keep the pediatric workforce stable and effective?”. This commentary aims to raise the attention of legislators and the pediatric community on the risk of a shortage of pediatricians and its negative social impact that the civil society will face shortly, particularly in theWestern world. In Europe, not enough pediatric graduates are currently entering the profession to replace those who retire. The task force of the European Paediatric Association/Union of National European Paediatric Societies and Associations’ (EPA/UNEPSA) Scientific Advisory Board, which is studying this circumstance, has developed an equation for estimating the needed annual number of newly trained pediatricians. This equation could be adapted to different national European contexts, assisting national stakeholders in determining the ideal annual pediatric workforce that would serve the need of the different European child healthcare systems.