RE: Pain fellowship before or after residency?

[wellessness9]

Hi Guys
Your views and experiences are really useful in deciding which program to choose. Thanks for that.
Just wondering if you have any advice on how to go about applying for a pain fellowship. I am an anaesthesiologist with 6 yrs experience in the UK and with a fellowship in pain management. I was wondering if I need to do the USMLE and then an anaesthesia program prior to starting the pain fellowship or can I apply for the pain fellowship rightaway after passing the USMLE. Do I need to do the MLE at all? Would be great to have some thoughts on this.
Also any more info on pain programs in San Deigo and other institutes in California?
Thanks in advance

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[canavarim]

u don't need to do residency to apply for fellowship , just finish ur steps and apply

 

[toxic-megacolon]

You can do the fellowship first, but you won't be able to practice in the US without a residency.

 

[wellessness9]

Thanks guys - but can you explain why I will not be able to practice without a residency, after the fellowship?
Is this true inspite of having the USMLE?
Any ideas on programs in San Diego and others in California?
Thanks

 

[paz5559]

Thanks guys - but can you explain why I will not be able to practice without a residency, after the fellowship?
Is this true inspite of having the USMLE?
Any ideas on programs in San Diego and others in California?
Thanks

In addition to not being able to practice, even if you could somehow finagle your way into practicing, you wont be able to sit for boards or get paid

 

[wellessness9]

Thanks guys - so do you all sugest doing the residency first and then the fellowship or the other way around

 

[lobelsteve]

If you have no US based training and cannot some type of exception, you will have to complete a residency before entering fellowship.

Let's go to the ECFMG and find out what's up....

You went to an IMED school and need to go through the USMLE and ECFMG process to get licensed in the US. I think you may have to do a US based residency and fellowship for state licensure and insurance credentialling.

 

[testdose]

I have trained with two anesthesiologists (one from South America and one from the UK), who came to the US to do a fellowship (pain and peds) and then went on to repeat their internship and residency in anesthesiology when their families decided to stay in the US. They would not have been able to stay and practice in the US with just their US fellowship. The guy from South America just sat for his written anesthesiology boards with me in July and is one of my attendings in my pain fellowship. The woman from the UK returned as an attending to the Children's hospital where she did her fellowship.

Things may have changed, but these are two fairly recent examples. Hope this helps.

 

[wellessness9]

Thanks guys - great site, always good to read your responses, will work on it.

 

[member]

It all depends on your credentials and any special research experience that may be desirable to a particular program if you want to do a fellowship only . I think you will still need to do USMLE's. But if you plan to work in an academic setting only then you may not need residency. We had one attending at my residency program who was from Ireland and finished his residecny and critical care there and he came to US to just do his fellowship in critical care and joined faculty at my hospital .But he cant go into private practice and he is actively involved in research. But this was during the late 90's and 2000 when nobody wanted to go into anesthesia. Things are different now.