Major Question

[marathon chick]

To all you PM&R experts,

It's me again! I would like to know your thoughts on this? Is it better to match at a residency program that has a fellowship already in place that you are interested in. For example, pain fellowships are pretty hard to come by from what I gather. Should I concentrate on Spaulding, Baylor..... and the other programs that have a pain fellowship in place or will I be better off going to another program and applying to that specific program as a PGY-4? Thanks in advance!

_____________________________
"Running marathons adds zest to your life"
Alberto Salazar-New York City Marathoner

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[drusso]

In my opinion---No. Concentrate on programs that are going to train you as comprehensively as possible in all areas. It's impossible to say what you're going to like 4 years down the line. You might decide that pediatric rehab is what you want to do or something else. Go somewhere that is comprehensive and where it "feels right" for you. Everything else will fall into place later.

 

[Stinky T]

I wouldn't concentrate on these programs only because they have a Pain Fellowship. Going to a program that has a Pain Fellowship will certanly give you an edge in landing their spot, but what's more important is to go to a program that will provide you with a solid three years of training. Another thing to consider if you are interested in a fellowship is how much elective time a program has. I know that when I interviewed at Kessler, the residents complained about the lack of elective time. This really didn't matter if they wanted a Kessler fellowship, but many felt that it hurt them when they wanted other ones.

With regards to Pain Fellowships, UC Davis, Loma Linda, and UVa also have Pain fellowships. These fellowships are jointly run, but are listed under the Anesthesia department. There are spots set aside for both Anesthesiologists and Physiatrists. Also, the fellowship at Baylor is located in OK so I don't think the affiliation is that strong. Therefore, I don't think going to Baylor would really help you in obtaining that fellowship.

 

[rehabdoc]

Originally posted by marathon chick
To all you PM&R experts,

It's me again! I would like to know your thoughts on this? Is it better to match at a residency program that has a fellowship already in place that you are interested in. For example, pain fellowships are pretty hard to come by from what I gather. Should I concentrate on Spaulding, Baylor..... and the other programs that have a pain fellowship in place or will I be better off going to another program and applying to that specific program as a PGY-4? Thanks in advance!



I agree with StinkyT.
think where you get a better training. worry about fellowship later. I did that and got my pain felowship as well with no difficulty.