Anesthesiologists in Palliative Care

[FutureProof]

Hello

I know that on the palliative board website it states that different specialists can undergo training in Palliative Care, however the most common paths are via internal medicine or family medicine.

I wanted to see if anyone knew of any palliative or hospice fellowship programs that allow anesthesiologists to become fellows

appreciate it

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[brimcmike]

I've met a physiatrist/HPM, a surgeon/HPM, a neurologist//HPM, and several EM physician//HPM, but truth be told I've only actually seen one anesthesiologist/HPM doc in the flesh as he gave a talk: Perry Fine, of the University of Utah, who wrote The Hospice Companion.

Columbia, the Dept of Anesthesiology is the program sponsor.

UPMC

Cleveland Clinic

Beth Israel

MetroHealth

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Although, the website encourages anesthesia toward the pain fellowship.

Still, given the 10 specialty co-sponsorship of HPM and the strength of the critical care experience in anesthesiology, I have difficulty imagining many HPM fellowships turning down anesthesia candidates solely b/c of specialty.

 

[FutureProof]

thank you kindly for your very informative response, I am very grateful. I was reading that about 2% of all HPM doctors are anesthesiologists, which was about 57 doctors in the US the number quoted.

HPM is such a wonderful specialty

 

[MTGas2B]

Its only been a very recent addition for hospice board certification for anesthesiologists. I think was only added about a year ago.

http://www.theaba.org/Home/examinations_certifications#hospice

As far as programs, I don't know of any anesthesiology specific one, but as you note its a multidisciplinary field, so the ACGME Family med based pallative care programs would likely take folks from a variety of backgrounds. Plus I'm sure there are non-acgme program one could look into.

 

[pretenda]

Im going to go one step further and ask does anyone know how realistic it would be to practice both gas and/or pain along with palliative medicine? Are hospice practices set up that would make it possible to practice both or would someone who trained in anesthesiology have to do practice strictly one or the other since Im sure there are very few, if any, hybrid hospice/gas groups?

 

[brimcmike]

Actually, it was mid-2006 that Hospice & Palliative Medicine was established by the ACGME and the American Board of Medical Specialities (ABMS)
http://www.abms.org/News_and_Events/downloads/NewSubcertPalliativeMed.pdf

The RRC for Family Medicine reviews and accredits all HPM programs regardless of the sponsoring specialty of the individual program
http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/RRC_sharedDocs/ACGME-Accredited_Specialties_and_Subspecialties.pdf

The first 40 HPM fellowships were accreditied beginning July 1, 2008.
Search by specialty (HPM under Family Medicine, of course)
The first one of that earliest vintage, listed alphabetically by state, is the Stanford program, and so on.

I emailed an enquiry to Dr. Fine's program about Anesthesia-HPM hybrids and practice patterns. We'll see if I get a response.

Cheers!

 

[brimcmike]

My questions:

I am a member of an online trainee bulletin board about Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

I am writing to confirm my understanding that anesthesiology-trained candidates are appropriate and even sought after by Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowships and practices.

Also, a question of practice patterns has come up for Anesthesiologist Palliative Medicine Physicians, can they and do they have hybrid practices, including, for instance, active operating room anesthesia and palliative care practices?

His response:

"The answers to your questions are YES and YES, although there are not many of us."

Cheers!