Pain Fellowship Reviews

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Pitt has one of the best research pain programs. They have 1 spot designated for a research track.

Originally Posted by bubblywatr

Does anyone know of good research-oriented pain fellowships?

I am an MD/PhD student and would ultimately like to practice 1 day/wk, and run a basic science lab the other 6.

Originally Posted by Ligament

UW for the past years has been really weak. However, in the past year or so they've been adding promising new faculty including Alex Cahana from Switzerland as Pain Director and I think there is some exciting things in store for UW in the upcoming couple years. They've been VERY weak on procedures recently but hopefully that will turn around soon. Best of luck!

I've heard that they have been on the weaker side for years. I am familiar with Dr. Andrea Trescot. I believe she was over the program at Univ of Florida, but left for Univ of Wash after UFl's pain program closed! Does anyone have any further insight into Dr. Trescot? Did she really assault one of the fellows from U Florida???

Originally Posted by bubblywatr

Does anyone know of good research-oriented pain fellowships?

I am an MD/PhD student and would ultimately like to practice 1 day/wk, and run a basic science lab the other 6.

UCLA has offered a 2 year 50% research, 50% clinical pain fellowship in the past to people serious about pain research and academic pain.

Originally Posted by Calilove

I've heard that they have been on the weaker side for years. I am familiar with Dr. Andrea Trescot. I believe she was over the program at Univ of Florida, but left for Univ of Wash after UFl's pain program closed! Does anyone have any further insight into Dr. Trescot? Did she really assault one of the fellows from U Florida???

Wow

Originally Posted by critter jenkins

Anyone with info on Pain at USF/Tampa? FREIDA lists link for Neuro non-interventional program, but seperate website looks like anethesia.

It used to be under Anaesthesia. Since they lost ACGME accreditation for the Anesthesia residency they cannot have the fellowship. Neuro has it now. Also, FREIDA has it listed as 1 year in length. That is incorrect. It is 2 years and you do most the training at the VA.

I just got an interview at Johns Hopkins and was wondering if anyone actually knew about there pain program. I know that someone mentioned earlier that it was an "elite" program but i was hoping for more detailed and specific info. I will have to be post-call for the interview and i live in chicago so i want to make sure it worth it.

By the way, there arent very many good review of programs on this thread. i will do my best to give summaries of my interviews and i hope other people do the same.

thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=Calilove;7961570]I've heard that they have been on the weaker side for years. I am familiar with Dr. Andrea Trescot. I believe she was over the program at Univ of Florida, but left for Univ of Wash after UFl's pain program closed! Does anyone have any further insight into Dr. Trescot? Did she really assault one of the fellows from U Florida???[/QUOTE]


do not spread rumors about her. The incident you are referring to has been greatly exaggerated

Originally Posted by 350Z

I just got an interview at Johns Hopkins and was wondering if anyone actually knew about there pain program. I know that someone mentioned earlier that it was an "elite" program but i was hoping for more detailed and specific info. I will have to be post-call for the interview and i live in chicago so i want to make sure it worth it.

By the way, there arent very many good review of programs on this thread. i will do my best to give summaries of my interviews and i hope other people do the same.

thanks in advance.

Congrats on your interview, I've heard repeatedly that it's an excellent program, and you will get a very good variety of procedures. I'm not sure how well it will train you for a volume-oriented private practice. Supposedly CC prepares you better for this. JHU is all about training academic pain docs. My year at Columbia the only one of us to get an interview at JHU has a PhD in neurobiology with a focus on a pain related project (he's a fellow there now).

You won't find a ton of reviews around, and what you do see will mostly be almost invariably positive. The pain world is very small and there's a lot of fear of retribution for negative comments about any particular program. My advice would be to talk personally with current or former fellows from a program you're interviewing at, preferably at a time and place where privacy is guaranteed. The floodgates open when people go off the record.

Originally Posted by 350Z

I just got an interview at Johns Hopkins and was wondering if anyone actually knew about there pain program. I know that someone mentioned earlier that it was an "elite" program but i was hoping for more detailed and specific info. I will have to be post-call for the interview and i live in chicago so i want to make sure it worth it.

By the way, there arent very many good review of programs on this thread. i will do my best to give summaries of my interviews and i hope other people do the same.

thanks in advance.

long time lurker first time posting, also applying for pain this year. From what I have been able to gather Hopkins is easily one of the best programs in the country, definitely top five.

You get lots adequate exposure to all sorts of procedures, your bread and butter plus the esoteric.
Top physicians that are easy to work with and get along with.
Easy to do research if you are so inclined.
I agree with the post about a bend toward academia but I know someone who finished the fellowship there a couple of years ago and is about to start his own private practice this year.

Hours are good though can be on the longer side in your first few months as you learn the ropes ( I assume this is the same for all good fellowships though)

Congratulations on your interview, let us know how it goes and what you learn.

Laters.

Wow. I had no idea Hopkins was considered top 5. I've also been invited there for an interview, and frankly was a little shocked.

Anyone have any info on University of California Irvine?

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

Originally Posted by PainDr

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

debatable list,
first time I have ever seen Northwestern mentioned as top 5-10,
Rush is probably the best program in Chicago
BI has had its fair share of ups and downs
various attendings I have spoken to place Hopkins as top 10

but as you mentioned- lots of different opinions

Originally Posted by dozer001

Wow. I had no idea Hopkins was considered top 5. I've also been invited there for an interview, and frankly was a little shocked.

Anyone have any info on University of California Irvine?

UC Irvine used to be a weak program and I declined an interview there, however, that was 5 yrs ago. I heard they hired a couple of new attendings and were really trying to build the program. Sorry, that's all I know.

Regarding Northwestern, I didn't interview there and have no first hand info. However, I've heard the fellows are busy as h*ll and get a high volume of procedures. Also, Benzon is well known and from what I've heard, a very good attending.

Originally Posted by PainDr

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

Seems about right.
Of course MGH, BI and B&W are 3 very separate and distinct programs. I would not put Northwestern in the list - at least I have never heard anything special about their program. Texas Tech as lost at least 2 of their big names.

Anyone have info on jeffs program?

Thanks

UC Irvine's fellows are worked pretty hard, and they are looking for a new fellowship program director. They are also trying to hire new staff. they do not get enough stims, and pumps are hit or miss (as it is at most programs). i don't know if they do kyphoplasties, but they may not.
this is all per a pain Fellow in the LA area, so honestly who knows how accurate it is!
I declined an interview there b/c i have a few programs that I feel are stronger that I have interview offers at, and UC-Irvine only has 2 fellows. I can't imagine what the call schedule looks like!

Originally Posted by mid|ine

Seems about right.
Of course MGH, BI and B&W are 3 very separate and distinct programs. I would not put Northwestern in the list - at least I have never heard anything special about their program. Texas Tech as lost at least 2 of their big names.

What about CCF? Has anyone heard anything good about this program?
David Brown of MD Anderson is now the new chair of Anesthesia

Originally Posted by LordArius

It used to be under Anaesthesia. Since they lost ACGME accreditation for the Anesthesia residency they cannot have the fellowship. Neuro has it now. Also, FREIDA has it listed as 1 year in length. That is incorrect. It is 2 years and you do most the training at the VA.

I believe one of our residents is starting there this July. Don't know anything about it yet though

Originally Posted by PainDr

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

I would generally agree with this list but I would defintely say that Hopkins is a top 5-10 program. Cohen regularly is publishing in high impact journals at speaking at ISIS, S. Raja is a legend and authored one of the definitive books on pain, and Chris Wu is very active on the acute pain side of things, has authored the acute pain chapters of the P. Raj text. Definitely on the map.

I know others have asked, but I haven't seen an answer anywhere. Does anyone have any info on the program at NYU?

Thanks

NW has a good multi-disiplinary approach, and with its connections with RIC you get instruction from top PMR docs. In terms of procedure Rush tops them. Im a resident in Chicago and Rush is generally considered the most desirable program here.

Originally Posted by 350Z

NW has a good multi-disiplinary approach, and with its connections with RIC you get instruction from top PMR docs. In terms of procedure Rush tops them. Im a resident in Chicago and Rush is generally considered the most desirable program here.

Rush pain fellowship is definitely NOT PM&R friendly. the PD has something against PM&R apparently...

Just thought I would give my plug for MCV/VCU Pain fellowship. One of the last remaining PM&R "multidisciplinary "run ACGME accredited programs. Tremendous Interventional program. There is not a single procedure that I did not do in the fellowship. Plenty of med managment, too. Not a lot of inpatient consult/acute pain. It has been under the radar.

Originally Posted by mid|ine

Seems about right.
Of course MGH, BI and B&W are 3 very separate and distinct programs. I would not put Northwestern in the list - at least I have never heard anything special about their program. Texas Tech as lost at least 2 of their big names.

At Texas Tech, Racz, Day and Boswell are still practicing here.

any thoughts on UC Davis? good, bad, mediocre?
i heard Scott Fishman is there, and this one attending Paul Kreis is writing the first spinal cord stimulator text book. so I assume they are pretty interventional.

Any word on the pain fellowship at Mayo in Rochester or Phoenix?

Does anyone know if there is a separate forum for spine fellowships? It is so hard to figure out which are interventional spine and which are purely pain. Also, where do you find out about nonaccredited programs?

Also, does anyone have a list of pain and spine fellowships that are PM&R friendly?

check out the PM&R forum

Originally Posted by medicineman1

Any word on the pain fellowship at Mayo in Rochester or Phoenix?

Applied to AZ location, but no word either way.... waiting patiently for something.

Long time lurker first time poster. I can't begin to tell you how helpful everyone's input on this LENGTHY thread has been. I have been following it for almost 2 years and I am finally at the point of applying and waiting for interviews.

I recently sent off all of my applications and just received my first interview offer at Cornell. This is definately in my top choices and there were a few others I was hoping to hear from as well (BID, BWH, MGH, MD Anderson, CC, and Hopkins). Just as an impression or basis of comparison, if one receives an interview at Cornell, is it too far off base to think that they might be on par to get an interview offer from the any of the above listed places ...or are those places in such a different league that it's comparing apples and oranges . Just getting early application jitters and looking for a little insight on what to expect.

Thanks again everyone for your input and keep up the advice!!!

Originally Posted by Number 13

Long time lurker first time poster. I can't begin to tell you how helpful everyone's input on this LENGTHY thread has been. I have been following it for almost 2 years and I am finally at the point of applying and waiting for interviews.

I recently sent off all of my applications and just received my first interview offer at Cornell. This is definately in my top choices and there were a few others I was hoping to hear from as well (BID, BWH, MGH, MD Anderson, CC, and Hopkins). Just as an impression or basis of comparison, if one receives an interview at Cornell, is it too far off base to think that they might be on par to get an interview offer from the any of the above listed places ...or are those places in such a different league that it's comparing apples and oranges . Just getting early application jitters and looking for a little insight on what to expect.

Thanks again everyone for your input and keep up the advice!!!

As the man who granted you the interview (and no I do not know who you are, nor is it my concern to find out-life is short), I am unsure. I do know that what we look for is likelihood that you will be accepted before offering interviews. We know you guys spend money and time to come here and we do not wish for you to waste those things. The initial batch was over 120 apps, of which 40 interview offers were sent (we have at best 60 interviews). Will go through more this week.

But, given that you were selected, you had to be strong. Each program looks for different things so we can not be prognostic of another, nor they of us. In many cases, multiple individuals from a single strong program applied to us, but only 1 might be given an interview (or all). What we look for: 1) reasons to choose pain (beside some family member having been in pain), 2) why us 3) what you want to do in the future, 4) level of collegiality.

In short, we want to pick people who will thrive and want to work with us. Our biggest nightmare is a disgruntled fellow. Come to the interview day-it is informative, we are bluntly honest and we will elucidate you as to the misconceptions you have of our (now much changed) program as well as our weaknesses. Take fellow's email addresses, we'll even give you ALL the fellows emails for the last 3 years if you wish to ask questions.

And for those wondering, we do not judge you based on these posts (I mean what kind of program are we creating if we did). We judge you on what people who know you say about you, what you write, how we click, etc. I look at these boards just to get an idea of what people are saying about us and am freely admitting I am one of the Attendings at Sloan (VTM)-I'll be giving you the tour.

Couple of things that are wrong:
-->Scut has diminished-lots.
-->Most call is covered by NPs, Residents etc at various hospitals-though there is still some.
-->MSK has many more procedures (still not as much as HSS, but more unique)-in fact Attending of the year (out of 15) for last 2 years was one of the junior MSK attendings.
-->Attendings/NPs do most all acute pain at MSK to minimize fellow exposure to non chronic pain. NPs do majority of call. Fellows have 1/2 to 1 day/wk and get Monday off no matter what.

For more info, look at our administrative website (it is however abridged-more intended to run the fellowship than for interviewees).
http://analgesia.home.att.net/timbo.html

Good luck.

First time poster,

I am currently a CA-2 anesthesia resident currently participating in the pain fellowship interview process. I would just like to comment on a few of the threads posted. First, at Texas Tech the current faculty do include Racz. Racz has yet to retire or leave the program, although I have heard the rumors too. Dr. Day is still at Tech as well. He is one of the better pain physicians when it comes to Head and Neck procedures. Finally Dr. Boswell is also at Tech. Dr. Rafeal Justiz was part of the Tech Pain Faculty until recently.

Texas Tech is still defenitely one of the top 5 programs in the nation. Fellows perform plently of B&B procedures including TFESI, MBB, LBB, Trigger Point Injections, LOA, but also perform plently of the more advanced procedures including SCS trials/placements, discograms, head and neck blocks (i.e. sphenopalintine, Stellate, subocciptal decompression), peripheral nerve stimulators, cryoneurolysis etc. The fellows recently are also starting to participate in rotations with the neuropsych departments.

The fellows do work a lot. There are no NP's to help out with work, so the fellows are responsible for seeing all the clinic patients as well as the inpatients and consults. Fellows are also responsible for all acute pain consults not related to the regional service. Pain fellows each take one week of call at a time. Since Tech take 5 fellows, that means call is every fifth week. Pain fellows are allowed to do moonlighting the OR.

This is a real basic breakdown of the Tech Program.

By the way Texas Tech just barely sent out their invitations for interview today.

Just Interviewed at the UPMC pain fellowship program (Pittsburgh),

the UPMC program is large, taking 8-9 fellows this year. The UPMC program is a very multidisciplinary program. Fellow's rotations include 1 month of inpatient consults with a very flexible work schedule. One month of an elective of the fellows choice. 4-6 wks working the PM&R physicians which includes clinic work, a couple of days of interventional procedures, and about 1 week of EMG studies. Fellows go through 2 wks of pallative care. Fellows have 1 month of acute pain/regional service. Fellows have another 4-6 wks with several pain physicians that focus primarly on medical management and physical rehabilitation. Finally, fellows also have another 2-3 months of work with faculty that have both do clinic and procedures. So if you are looking for a multidisciplinary program this is it.

They do a lot of B&B procedures but not much more. One of the fellows I spoke with had only performed a couple of SCS trials and no implatations. So it seems they may not have much strength as far as interventional techniques go. The fellows at this program do have the ability of moonlight in the OR and I also believe in OB.

This program is friendly to all comers. The program last year acceptted fellows from anesthesiology, PM&R, and internal medicine. That's right internal medicine. The class for 2009-2010 will include some more IM fellows and even a family practice fellow.

Well thats it. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by PainDr

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

I would say that the in no particular order the top programs are:

MD Anderson - large place, lots of interventional procedures such as scs, itp, kypho/vert. Almost every interventional program will train you in TFESI, MBB, RFA, joint injections etc. Lots of cancer pain which would imply lots of pumps, lots of vb procedures

JHU - just as all of the places mentioned above there are well-known attendings Raja, Cohen, Wu. Number one hospital in the nation for over a decade, large place, lots of interventional procedures such as scs, itp, kypho/vert. just as MD Anderson, CCF.

CCF - extremely large place, owns Cleveland, big names in NP (Stanton-Hicks) you will definately be trained in the procedures everyone wants to be trained in such as scs, itp, vert/kypho.

TT - a gem that does not get the credit that the other places receive because of location, but you will definately be trained well.

UCLA - best in the west, large place lot of faculty, Ferrante, location what more could you ask for... This is certainly the best program on the west coast.

The Harvards - you have the name behind you when you leave, but not considered the best of the best in training, but you will get your procedures and Rathmell is no slouch in the pain community.

As an aside:

NWU - there in no way that NWU is within the top 5-6 programs in the nation, maybe the midwest, but certainly not the nation. They do have Benzon, but they do not do the true interventional procedures that everyone wants to do. Neuro does these prodecures. You will be a very well trained multidis physician when you leave, but well behind Rush (Lubenow, Buvenandran, Amin, Williams) in scs, itp.

Furthermore:

What you want from a program includes the B&B procedures, some exposure to the head and neck procedures, adequate stims and pumps. Also disco, vb procedures and most importantly at least in my view is a well rounded education on the discipline of pain medicine not pain management.

What makes for an excellent pain medicine fellowship...unfortunately cancer pain (MDA, JHU, CCF), along with neuro/ortho spine (back wacks, bring you business), strong neurology and psych dept, and a strong orthopedics dept. Of course you will get referral from PCP, but in my view this is what I look for in pain program.

Any other information on Hopkins?

I know that Dr. Wu is amazing. He definitely seemed to be the real deal and was humble as well.

How are the others there?

Also how many spots are there and how many people actually interview for those?

Generally, from being on the trail I've heard this. Usually 40 people are interviewed for 2 spots.

Originally Posted by PainDr

JH "top 5"? I don't know about that. They've never really been on the radar. I'd say the "top 5 or 6" are (in no particular order):

1. Texas Tech (Didn't Racz retire? They still have Boswell)
2. UCLA (Ferrante)
3. MD Anderson (Allen Burton)
4. CC (Stanton-Hicks)
5. MGH (Rathmell)/BI/B&W
6. Northwestern (Benzon)

However, you'll hear lots of different opinions on this.

I would agree with your top 3 with some major changes that have occured at Texas Tech which I think drops them off the map. Most recently there best attending, Dr. Justiz is leaving Texas Tech for private practice. Dr. Justiz is arguably the best attending at Tech right now and if you ask Racz probably one of the best to ever train there. Still, Dr. Day remains as well as Racz and Boswell. Racz is there about 40% of the time, Day is good but not very aggressive (Likes to prescribe alot of narcs and rides the fellows), and Boswell mistreats the fellows and is overall a useless physician. Unless they can retain Justiz (Baby Racz) I would not recommend this pain fellowship to anyone. If they can convince him to stay this would definately be one of the best programs around.

Actually the pain medicine fellowship at Tech is gong very well. Miles Day, M.D. was brought back a few years ago and is the anchor of the program. Dr. Day is a well balanced physician, he is exacting in his expectations but is not abusive, he has a good sense of humor and will make you a better doctor. Dr. Day also looks out for the fellows and teaches you how to protect yourself in practice. Dr. Boswell is great to work with, he brings a broad approach to pain medicine and is introducing more peripheral joints into the program. He also spends time on teaching some of the important business aspects of practice. Dr. Racz is a giant and while he is not full time he is here most of the time and you work with him one on one. I have not heard him say anything about retiring.

Originally Posted by painmd

The Harvards - you have the name behind you when you leave, but not considered the best of the best in training, but you will get your procedures and Rathmell is no slouch in the pain community.

There are 4 pain fellowships programs that carry the Harvard name including the PMR program at Spaulding. They are all very different please refer to my previous post regarding my training experience and decide for yourself whether BWH should be included in the the best of the best.

"As a former fellow I am biased toward BWH.

If you cant choose between them there are a couple combined spots where you do a three month rotation at the other hospital plus a peds month.

The fellows I know who rotated at BI liked their experience alot. Solid number of bread and butter spine procedures with a by the book ISIS technique.

implants, BWH fellows are already doing around 50 each. You will develop solid surgical skills on very complicated cases.

Other good things about BWH: in office US guided procedures, kyphoplasties(limited number), EMG guided botox with a pain and EMG boarded neurologist on staff, psychopharmacology training with a pain boarded psychiatrist who also does implants, 2 pain psychologists, lots of research, clinics at the Dana Farber, rounding with pain and palliative care, lots of spine procedures, lots of non spine pain procedures, varied methods of performing the same procedure by the 8-10 different attendings, lots of opportunity to moonlight, at least one nonanesthesiologist fellow, tons of lectures, lots of good dinners!

As a physiatrist they even let me have friday afternoons to do EDX studies at the clinic and bought me a new EMG machine.

Possible cons-you will become comfortable prescribing narcotics, with the high number of implants the home call is busy, they take alot of their own as fellows and staff.

Feel free to PM me with more questions. "

Originally Posted by Number 13

Long time lurker first time poster. I can't begin to tell you how helpful everyone's input on this LENGTHY thread has been. I have been following it for almost 2 years and I am finally at the point of applying and waiting for interviews.

I recently sent off all of my applications and just received my first interview offer at Cornell. This is definately in my top choices and there were a few others I was hoping to hear from as well (BID, BWH, MGH, MD Anderson, CC, and Hopkins). Just as an impression or basis of comparison, if one receives an interview at Cornell, is it too far off base to think that they might be on par to get an interview offer from the any of the above listed places ...or are those places in such a different league that it's comparing apples and oranges . Just getting early application jitters and looking for a little insight on what to expect.

Thanks again everyone for your input and keep up the advice!!!

In response to this post, I applied to Cornell and considered it my top choice. I have been dying to move to NYC for years. My attending that wrote one of my letters went there. I got rejected ((
But i got interviews at UCLA, texas tech, duke, etc. and even an offer at the interview on spot in california..
so i think it is a lot like residency. some things on your application may jump out as realy good, or really bad, and it is almost luck maybe?
so don't get too discouraged. I am sure you will have plenty of interviews as these programs look at your apps if you got a spot at Cornell.
If you cancel your interview, let me know. id love to take it

any thoughts on georgetown's program

comprehensive program, with 5 rotation and 5 fellow.
1) pain clinic, you basically work in the crawford long pain clinic seeing pts, and get like 3 procedure days in the month. procedure days: each staff gets one day a week to do procedures, about 15 a day, and usually two persons on the rotation, where each person alternates in the single procedure suite.
2) cancer: cancer clinic and procedure day on fridays, palliative care clinic on thursday. other days you help out in the pain clinic or work in the procedure suite.
3)grady clinic: run the county hospital pain clinic, two days of clinic and two days of procedures, you are solo.
4) PMR: work with pmr staff, about three days a week, heavy in procedures, great rotation, great exposure to kypho, verts, scs, and basic spine injections.
5)neuro: work one day a week in teh neurology staff clinic,, seeing all sort of neuro pts, but mainly headache pts. the rest of the week, you work in the main pain clinic at crawford long.

biggest drawback: university wide policy against drug and medical device companies: you have to pay for your own dinners, and at workshops, you have to pay for your flight and hotel. the device companies will hopefully hold teaching workshops in the general area so that you can benefit from the cadaver courses.

you get exposure to the procedures, especially in implantation and revisions of scs, as the staff place their own scs. limited IT pumps, but who now is really wanting to place this device, i don't personally like the idea of IT especially for chronic pain. adequate exposure to disco, but no exposure to disc decompression, you can go to a course, but the only people paying for this procedure is workers comp and how many workers comp pts do you really want to see. teaching is good enough, who really cares to sit in on a lecture, when you are trying to pass your own speciality board exam during the fellowhsip year.

don't be upset as the program secretary, ann murray, is fairly unorganized, and can lose items easily, so keep trying.

Originally Posted by gurudev

biggest drawback: university wide policy against drug and medical device companies: you have to pay for your own dinners,

Man, ain't that a bummer, having to pay for your own food? What kind of world is this coming to?

Interviewed with them earlier this month. They have two fellows, only one of whom we met at the interview. The facilities are really nice as is the location (15 minutes from the beach). They do nearly all of their procedures at the clinic including stim trials but place permanent stims and pumps in the OR. From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like it would be a highly interventional program although they claim otherwise. It was very disappointing that we only met one of the fellows, and we were able to speak with him only in the presence of the two faculty members who interviewed us. The fellows did have to cover the acute pain service periodically via home call and rounding on the weekends. The stated that the department was in the process of bringing in new faculty but didn't really elaborate on the subject.

Originally Posted by gaseous_clay

Interviewed with them earlier this month. They have two fellows, only one of whom we met at the interview. The facilities are really nice as is the location (15 minutes from the beach). They do nearly all of their procedures at the clinic including stim trials but place permanent stims and pumps in the OR. From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like it would be a highly interventional program although they claim otherwise. It was very disappointing that we only met one of the fellows, and we were able to speak with him only in the presence of the two faculty members who interviewed us. The fellows did have to cover the acute pain service periodically via home call and rounding on the weekends. The stated that the department was in the process of bringing in new faculty but didn't really elaborate on the subject.

While on the subject of UCI (interviewed in May), I noted a few peculiar things such as a fixation on fibromyalgia ("so what do you think of fibromyalgia?", asked by 2 separate faculty) and the program director answering to 4, yes 4 pages during the interview. And finally, no response of any sort to a post-interview thank you letter sent out in May, no updates, no rejection, no email. Class act.

My Interview Experiences and Views Thus Far...

1) Pitt: Exceeded my expectations.
Large program (8-9 fellows) but get great experience, diverse rotations. Infrequent call (1 weekend every 9 weeks). Multiple opportunities for research available (including dedicated research track and research lectures/courses - you are excused from clinic to go to them!) Good number of interventions, but certainly not as many as some programs. No acute call!!!!! No daily epidural management!!!!Downsides? They don't create the pocket for their stims or tunnel the catheter. A neurosurgeon does. I've never heard of this before. Is it common? I want to be able to do the stims myself when I'm done - not rely on someone else for help - and am not sure I would feel comfortable if I did my fellowship at Pitt.

2) Penn: Lipstick on a Pig
The program puts on a good show. The director is well spoken and sells it, and the pain facility is very asthetically pleasing. But, multiple people have told me it is a low-tier pain program in a top-tier anesthesiology program (similar to Columbia in this respect). Procedures are mainly bread and butter, but have good number of stims (upside). But, you are only on procedures every 3-4th week. Only 6-8 procedures/day (mainly TFESI, LESI, CESI) and you are "pulled" to clinic on Wednesday for fellows clinic (so the resident does all the procedures by themself!) Clinic is a terrible experience, being primarily medical refill and chronic medical management of medicaid patients. Support services are lacking and at least 1 hour/day is spent filling out forms for "pre-approval" of medications or speaking with medicaid on phone. On acute service every 3rd week (carry pager for entire week - you are backup but the go to person for questions from the resident Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat - and carry pager by self (no resident) Thurs, Sunday). Must go in for any thoracic epidural placement during that week (even if resident goes in as well). Acute + chronic call every third weekend! Far too much acute management (which is really not educational). No peds experience (despite CHOP being next door). Overall, multiple people (high in pain food chain) told me not to consider program. Didn't get offer after interview, and heard they are full. But, have also heard that non-Penn people in the last 3-5 years have been VERY disappointed throughout their fellowship, to the point some actively considered leaving. They felt they were "duped" by a used car salesman during the interview process.

3) St. Lukes-Roosevelt: Opposite of Penn (not Ivy league name, but GREAT training)
Not the best name in a program, but ivy league names only matter to those who don't know any better. The people "in the know" respect the quality of a program, and SLR is great. Arguably the most interventional and well respected program in NYC (certainly far above all programs except for Tri-Institute, which I don't know much about). Very interventional. Good number of stims and more advanced procedures. Very little acute call (occasional weekend, but infrequent and resident is first line). Pain director very nice. Nice facilities. Subsidized housing in nice part of Manhattan. Good research support available. Overall, very impressed.

4) NYU: Very disappointed. Not even worth writing much about. Would rather not do pain fellowship at all than do it at NYU.

5) Stanford: Amazing! The total package! Location, beautiful weather, great academics, great research, happy residents, beautiful people walking EVERYWHERE! My top pick after interviewing. Praying I get an offer...

6) Hopkins: Also great. Put off by pimping by Christo during interview process. Hate Baltimore, but reputation, research, faculty (Christo...Cohen...Raja...Wu), and training are top-notch. Seems like more academic oriented than private practice (they certainly recruit academic types moreso than some other programs) but you still get plenty of stims, kypo/vertebro, itp

Still waiting for BID and B&W to let me know about possible interviews.

Sorry. I got tired writing this and realize that I dedicated a lot less space to the later places than the earlier. Oh well. Maybe I'll come back later and add to them. These are just my impressions from interviews and talking with attendings in academics and private practice. Maybe you feel the same...maybe not. The pain community is small, and it's tough to learn about these places - mainly word of mouth. So, this thread is amazing. I wish more people would share their experiences though...

[QUOTE=painmd2010;8533184]My Interview Experiences and Views Thus Far...

Great post. Very detailed.

Univ of Chicago-->

Great name. Seems like a relaxed program. The PD seems pretty relaxed. Nevertheless, only 2 spots!!! They interview really early on in the process. But they've made their decisions in July !

Pros-->great name. Great facilities.
cons-->not the best neighborhood in Chicago...However, you are in Chicago where everything is a 10 min cab or car ride away. Doesnt seem to be a 'highly' interventinal program.

What are people's thoughts on Beth Israel New York? I heard that its the strongest program in New York City, but haven't heard much on these posts.

Originally Posted by dragon0626

What are people's thoughts on Beth Israel New York? I heard that its the strongest program in New York City, but haven't heard much on these posts.

This season I've had interviews at UCDavis, UCI, UCLA, MD Anderson, Umich, Ucolorado, UPitt, BI New York. If anyone wants to know my experience just ask.

What did you think of UCDavis?

Has anyone interviewed at UCSD? If so, what did you think?