• Omar Shamieh, Kathryn Richardson, Hikmat Abdel-Razeq, Asem Mansour, and Sheila Payne.
• Department of Palliative Medicine, King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Amman, Jordan; School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; Center for Palliative & Cancer Care in Conflict (CPCCC), KHCC, Amman, Jordan. Electronic address: oshamieh@khcc.Jo.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Nov 1; 60 (5): 1003-1011.

ContextPalliative medicine (PM) has gained subspecialty recognition in many countries during the past two decades. Jordan is one of the first Arab countries to gain accreditation for the specialty.ObjectivesTo outline the process undertaken by leaders in palliative care in Jordan to have PM recognized as a subspecialty and the development of a two-year fellowship training program. To contextualize the Jordanian experience with the experience from other countries and assess the need for PM specialty programs in Jordan.MethodsA thorough review of all documentations, letters, correspondence, and proposals exchanged between the palliative care department at King Hussein Cancer Center and the Jordanian Medical Council from 2011 to 2017. An assessment of the number of certified physicians and fellowship posts required to meet the current palliative care needs in Jordan, using population-based need for palliative care.ResultsThe process of gaining subspecialty status for PM in Jordan was complex, lengthy, and dependent on the collaboration of many officials and health sector organizations working together on a national strategy to achieve it. Ultimately, PM was recognized as a subspecialty in 2017, a two-year fellowship program was accredited by the Jordanian Medical Council in 2018, with a recognized subspecialty board examination, which can be accessed by many medical and surgical specialties. It is estimated that 185-235 full-time equivalent palliative care specialist physicians are needed to meet the demand of patients in Jordan.ConclusionKey factors enabling accreditation to happen in Jordan were strong leadership, persistence, collaboration with major stakeholders, and seeking out opportunities to promote the specialty. Our experience and lessons learnt are transferable to other countries and may prove beneficial to others aiming to gain subspecialty recognition for PM.Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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