Neuro vs Anesthesia Pain Medicine?

[Hoya11]

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Can neurologists and anesthesiologists enter the same pain fellowships? And once through one of these fellowships can they both perform the same duties? Can a neurologist do nerve blocks and all the duties of an anesthesiologist and vice versa?

Or is it more like they both work together but in different areas, more similar to how a psychiatrist would fit in to a pain practice. Because I see ads for neurologist pain practices offering all the same servies as anesthesia pain...???

 

[cchoukal]

In the same vein, are most anesthesiology pain fellowships created equal, or are some more interventionally focused (and if so, which ones?)?

 

[DOctorJay]

www.painrounds.com will answer a lot of your questions.

neuro, gas, pm&r, psych can all apply for pain fellowship and I believe interventional as well (positive for pm&r and gas, could be wrong about neuro and psych).

-J

 

[PainPhysicians]

Can neurologists and anesthesiologists enter the same pain fellowships? And once through one of these fellowships can they both perform the same duties? Can a neurologist do nerve blocks and all the duties of an anesthesiologist and vice versa?

Or is it more like they both work together but in different areas, more similar to how a psychiatrist would fit in to a pain practice. Because I see ads for neurologist pain practices offering all the same servies as anesthesia pain...???

Currently, there only 4 ABMS recognized boards that can grant board certification in pain medicine: anesthesiology, pm&r, neurology, and psych. All fellowships that are ACGME approved will allow you to sit for the board exam. However, you will have to apply through the American Board of PM&R. The American Board of Anesthesiology only lets anesthesiologists sit for their exam even if you complete an anesthesia based fellowship. You can be from any specialty and apply to a fellowship program. I know the Cleveland Clinic is known for taking non-anesthesiologists into their program.

As far as doing all the duties of an anesthesiologist, well regarding pain management, yes you can. But you will not learn to do actual anesthesia in the operating room though! That takes years to learn!

More infor about pain medicine available at: painphysicians.org

Good luck.