Hoping to get some feedback on what members of this forum think should be included in a personal statement when applying to pain fellowships. Ie. number of procedures performed by applicant, geographic preferences, expected patient population and procedures(types and volume) at a program. etc..


Should I have different statements for anesthesia based vs. PMR based fellowships? I know they are supposed to combine but maybe the culture will take time to catch up?



Thanks.

ttt

I think that you should honestly address your reasons for wanting to pursue a pain medicine fellowship. Why do you find pain medicine intellectually stimulating? Why do you want to spend the rest of your career taking care of "difficult" patients with complex pain problems? Why are you gravitating toward a field that most physician RUN from?? How come you're doing fellowship when you could "have a real job!"

a. briefly discussing some of your interventional exposure would be appropriate. In fact some programs ask you to address this in your statement. I do not think you have to discuss geographic preference or particulars about the program unless there is something specific that you are aware of that you want to address.

b. I would definitely craft different letters for PM&R versus anesthesia programs, many physiatry fellowship directors consider themselves to be interventionalists rather than pain physicians and you certainly dont want your personal statement to offend.

c. research, if you have it.

otherwise I would have to agree with drrusso's post.


Hoping to get some feedback on what members of this forum think should be included in a personal statement when applying to pain fellowships. Ie. number of procedures performed by applicant, geographic preferences, expected patient population and procedures(types and volume) at a program. etc..


Should I have different statements for anesthesia based vs. PMR based fellowships? I know they are supposed to combine but maybe the culture will take time to catch up?



Thanks.