Adolescent medicine is the branch of medicine that specializes in treating adolescents and youths. An adolescent medicine physician focuses on the problems of patients who have reached puberty and are in adolescence. This physician specializes in the care of adolescents, including illness, substance abuse prevention and counseling, psychosocial disorders (depression and self-esteem problems, eating disorders), reproductive health, and sexuality issues.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Maryland has 177 practicing adolescent medicine doctors. Broken out by city, adolescent medicine doctor density in Annapolis is 7, in Arnold is 3, in Baltimore is 46, in Bel Air is 15, in Bethesda is 5, in Bowie is 2, in California is 1, in Catonsville is 3, in Charlotte Hall is 1, in Chester is 1, in Cheverly is 1, in Chevy Chase is 2, in Clinton is 2, in College Park is 2, in Columbia is 13, in Eldersburg is 3, in Ellicott City is 6, in Forest Hill is 1, in Frederick is 16, in Gaithersburg is 6, in Gambrills is 1, in Germantown is 8, in Glen Burnie is 2, in Hagerstown is 9, in Havre De Grace is 1, in Hollywood is 2, in Hyattsville is 1, in Jarrettsville is 1, in Kensington is 1, in Laurel is 3, in Lexington Park is 1, in Lutherville is 1, in Lutherville Timonium is 1, in Millersville is 2, in Mitchellville is 1, in Montgomery Villag is 1, in Mount Airy is 4, in N Potomac is 1, in North Potomac is 1, in Nottingham is 1, in Odenton is 1, in Olney is 2, in Oxon Hill is 1, in Pasadena is 3, in Pikesville is 3, in Prince Frederick is 4, in Randallstown is 2, in Riverdale is 2, in Rockville is 9, in Severna Park is 2, in Silver Spring is 9, in Solomons is 2, in Sykesville is 1, in Takoma Park is 1, in Temple Hills is 2, in Timonium is 1, in Towson is 10, in Upper Marlboro is 5, in Upperco is 1, in Waldorf is 4, in Westernport is 1, in Westminster is 2, and in Wheaton is 1.

Maryland was one of the thirteen original colonies, and achieved statehood in 1788. Maryland’s population is 5,600,388; Annapolis is its capital and home to the U.S. Naval Academy. Baltimore is the largest city, and is home to world-acclaimed Johns-Hopkins University and Hospital. There are myriad activities available for residents or visitors, including arts and theater, sports, museums, hiking, biking and walking trails, Famous people from Maryland include musician Frank Zappa, baseball great Babe Ruth, and Francis Scott Key, who wrote the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

According to 2005 Census estimates, Maryland has a population of 5,600,388. Of this population, 1,360,481 are under the age of 18 and 641,040 are at or above the age of 65.