Interventional Radiology in Portugal: towards a subspeciality?

Abstract

The evolution of Medicine and the required levels of knowledge it demands, according to the best practices, led to the establishment of different specialties and, more recently, to medical subspecialties. Currently, there are 50 specialties and 21 medical subspecialties, recognized by the Portuguese College of Medicine. If we look closely at the different types of medical subspecialties, we can see that in their genesis different prerequisites were present: very unique areas within a particular specialty that was too comprehensive; complex procedures or techniques - requiring targeted certification to ensure competence; specific approach in pediatrics of different specialties (10 subspecialties are pediatric); fusion of valences among different specialties (for example dermatology and pathological anatomy or between neurology and pathological anatomy). In most cases, the subspecialties have “restricted access”, that is, only one specialty allows access to that subspecialty