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.