Overspecialization is when a person works in an excessively narrow occupation or scientific field.[1]
In the workplace, specialization of labor is used to divide up the workload in a manner that improves efficiency. However, holders of overspecialized positions tend to perform repetitive jobs, leading to boredom, dissatisfaction, and lower-quality output.[2]
The breadth of medical knowledge has expanded vastly since the 1980s.[3] It has been argued that specialization is necessary in medicine to divide up the vast knowledge needed to tackle certain classes of diseases, such as cancer.[4] However, specializing too narrowly leads to poor training; unnecessary health care; low-quality care, especially in regions with poor medical infrastructure;[5] and knowledge that can rapidly become outdated. Overspecialization detracts from physicians' ability to identify and treat problems in patients.[3] One proposed solution is to use databases that streamline the obtaining of necessary information and knowledge, while teaching medicine to a depth that the human mind can handle.[3]
Modern universities offer a large number of academic majors where students can pursue research. However, overspecialization is considered to be a serious problem in research because it prevents academics from assessing the relationship between different fields in order to solve certain problems.[6]
The Ph.D system has been criticized for encouraging overspecialization, which can leave students ill-prepared for corporate jobs.[7]