Interventional Spine Fellowship at VCU?

[GQPMR]

Anyone know anything about the new interventional spine fellowship at VCU? It is a different fellowship than the Pain Fellowship at VCU and is headed by Dr. Micheal DePalma who was the previous fellowship director of the Pain fellowship there at VCU. All I know is that its not ACGME certified and the exposure is to almost everything (bread and butter procedures as well as vertebral augmentation) except you don't get much pump/stim placement like the pain fellows get in the Pain Fellowship. Seems interesting, but limited info given that its just starting this year.

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[GQPMR]

ttt

 

[clubdeac]

Anyone know anything about the new interventional spine fellowship at VCU? It is a different fellowship than the Pain Fellowship at VCU and is headed by Dr. Micheal DePalma who was the previous fellowship director of the Pain fellowship there at VCU. All I know is that its not ACGME certified and the exposure is to almost everything (bread and butter procedures as well as vertebral augmentation) except you don't get much pump/stim placement like the pain fellows get in the Pain Fellowship. Seems interesting, but limited info given that its just starting this year.

Yeah I do . . . what ya want to know?

Ok, this is what I know. You work with DePalma all year. You miss out on putting in pumps and stims with Hamza and you miss out on the autonomy of working at the VA. Also heard DePalma supervises things quite closely. I say that in the nicest way as he is well published, amazingly bright and frankly knows his **** cold. Other than that and it not being accredited, sounds like a good deal. I dunno

 

[ampaphb]

Yeah I do . . . what ya want to know?

Ok, this is what I know. You work with DePalma all year. You miss out on putting in pumps and stims with Hamza and you miss out on the autonomy of working at the VA. Also heard DePalma supervises things quite closely. I say that in the nicest way as he is well published, amazingly bright and frankly knows his **** cold. Other than that and it not being accredited, sounds like a good deal. I dunno

it is ACGME accredited

 

[clubdeac]

it is ACGME accredited

Actually the Spine spot is not accredited. The other 5 or 6 pain spots are but I'm pretty sure the Spine spot isn't.

 

[ampaphb]

Actually the Spine spot is not accredited. The other 5 or 6 pain spots are but I'm pretty sure the Spine spot isn't.

Please explain the difference between these spots - the ACGME website lists MCV as an accredited program

 

[GQPMR]

Yeah I do . . . what ya want to know?

Ok, this is what I know. You work with DePalma all year. You miss out on putting in pumps and stims with Hamza and you miss out on the autonomy of working at the VA. Also heard DePalma supervises things quite closely. I say that in the nicest way as he is well published, amazingly bright and frankly knows his **** cold. Other than that and it not being accredited, sounds like a good deal. I dunno

That is all I Know as well... Just wondering if the numbers regarding procedures besides the stim/pump stuff equals what the pain fellows do? Also why is there another spine fellowship if they already have a pain fellowship? Just wondering if the fellow is the scut-monkey for the attending for all of his research, publications etc. After all wasn't Dr. DePalma trained by Dr. Curtis Slipman (UPenn), who has the reputation of not treating his fellows well and making them do all of his research and write textbook chapters afterhours... Does the apple fall far from the tree? Just wondering why and if it truly is worth applying to?

By the way here is the link to the VCU fellowships: http://www.pmr.vcu.edu/fellowships/default.aspx

As you can see there is a pain fellowship as well as an interventional spine care fellowship. Pain is ACGME certified and the intervenional spine fellowship is not...

 

[clubdeac]

That is all I Know as well... Just wondering if the numbers regarding procedures besides the stim/pump stuff equals what the pain fellows do? Also why is there another spine fellowship if they already have a pain fellowship? Just wondering if the fellow is the scut-monkey for the attending for all of his research, publications etc. After all wasn't Dr. DePalma trained by Dr. Curtis Slipman (UPenn), who has the reputation of not treating his fellows well and making them do all of his research and write textbook chapters afterhours... Does the apple fall far from the tree? Just wondering why and if it truly is worth applying to?

By the way here is the link to the VCU fellowships: http://www.pmr.vcu.edu/fellowships/default.aspx

As you can see there is a pain fellowship as well as an interventional spine care fellowship. Pain is ACGME certified and the intervenional spine fellowship is not...

Yeah you're exactly right about the two different fellowships. To answer ampaphb, the spine spot is new starting July '08 and it will be different than the 6 pain spots. Sorry GQPMR, I don't know much else other than DePalma wanted his own fellow. All your assumptions may be right. I don't even think the current fellows or other attendings at VCU know some of those answers. You might have to ask DePalma himself

 

[Ligament]

After all wasn't Dr. DePalma trained by Dr. Curtis Slipman (UPenn), who has the reputation of not treating his fellows well and making them do all of his research and write textbook chapters afterhours... Does the apple fall far from the tree??

This is also the reputation with many of the other non-academic based yet ACGME accredited established PM&R fellowships.

 

[lobelsteve]

Give me a year and I'll take a fellow.
THe apple will fall in a different orchard.
I'd rather pursue a joining of AAPMed/ISIS/ASIPP as well as a political means to create a pain residency and pry this vital need for adequate training away from money grubbing University Departments and Pseudo-academicians and do something that would benefit the patient populace. All in good time......

 

[GQPMR]

This is also the reputation with many of the other non-academic based yet ACGME accredited established PM&R fellowships.

There aren't too many left in this category, any specific ones that you care to mention?

 

[DistantMets]

I'm a PGY-2 at VCU. I'll be at the VCU spine center today. Dr. Depalma is aware that there are questions about the spine fellowship and was going to talk with me today about some of the particulars. I'll hopefully have some more info to post soon.