Preparing for pain fellowship

[Propofool123]

Hey all,

I matched at a very heavily procedural program and am happy about it. Unfortunately at my anesthesia residency program we don’t get much experience with performing any fluoro procedures but we do have extensive exposure to neuraxials and PNBs.

Should my lack of experience with TFESIs, RFAs, or SCS be a cause for concern prior to starting fellowship? I’m planning on doing my part to schedule a 2 week chronic pain elective but unfortunately there are no guarantees that I can get time in the spine center. I’m planning on working on my suturing and knot tying skills prior to starting in July.

I would appreciate any advice!

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[Ligament]

Hey all,

I matched at a very heavily procedural program and am happy about it. Unfortunately at my anesthesia residency program we don’t get much experience with performing any fluoro procedures but we do have extensive exposure to neuraxials and PNBs.

Should my lack of experience with TFESIs, RFAs, or SCS be a cause for concern prior to starting fellowship? I’m planning on doing my part to schedule a 2 week chronic pain elective but unfortunately there are no guarantees that I can get time in the spine center. I’m planning on working on my suturing and knot tying skills prior to starting in July.

I would appreciate any advice!

Hello and congrats!

Do not sweat this.

There is no cause for concern. You are entering fellowship to learn this stuff. One word of advice; do not assume neuroaxial and PNBs done in anesthesia residency will have application to chronic pain practice, unless those were image guided. Here is what would transfer:

1. image guided skills
2. managing complications of those neuroaxial and PNBs. You'll rarely see such issues in outpatient chronic pain, but good to know how to manage badness if it pops up.

Suturing and knot tying could be useful to brush up on for sure.

 

[Gnarvin]

I also completed an anesthesiology residency that didn’t let the residents do any chronic pain procedures because they wanted to fellows to get all of them. I also completed a very interventionally focused pain fellowship.

I would not be concerned at all. My advice is to get a good interventional atlas (I like Furman) and just read up on the procedures before you do them. If you are good procedurally then you will pick it up quickly.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Practice suturing and review spine anatomy. Don't sweat the procedural skills because that's the whole point of the fellowship.

 

[GatorCHOMPions]

What are some good resources to learn the knowledge base aside from procedures?

 

[Ligament]

What are some good resources to learn the knowledge base aside from procedures?

Atlas of common and uncommon pain syndromes from waldman is fantastic. That will cover a lot.

Furman and ISIS books.

ASIPP Techniques in spinal and non-spinal pain is great.

A board review book.

This forum is actually about the best resource possible over time.