Pain Medicine Fellowship

The Montefiore Einstein Department of Pain Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Pain Medicine Fellowship is the largest Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited PM&R pain program in the nation. We are the leading medical provider in a community of over three million. Our mission is to alleviate pain and enhance function through responsible pharmacological practices, sound clinical judgment and solid scientific principles, while incorporating the latest interventional techniques. Established during the 2011–12 academic year, we have graduated 36 fellows to date. 

The Pain Medicine Fellowship Program is a one-year initiative that trains fellows in various core competencies as mandated by the ACGME. Eligible candidates include residents from the fields of PM&R, anesthesiology, neurology, emergency medicine or psychiatry who are board-eligible or certified. 

The educational objective of the Program is to prepare fellows for independent practice in interventional pain management and to develop essential competencies in pain medicine.The Fellowship is committed to providing our fellows with the excellent clinical and didactic education necessary for the practice of pain management. Additionally, the Program equips fellows to handle future global medical fiscal changes by teaching them the business and administrative aspects of pain medicine. 

A special focus is placed on the personal development of the PM&R fellow, acknowledging that outstanding pain medicine specialists require both knowledge and skill to provide the best possible patient care in a compassionate and respectful manner. We are dedicated to offering pain medicine fellows the opportunity to thrive in both academic and clinical pain practice.

Fellows train at two locations: the Montefiore Einstein, Hutchinson Campus (Hutch) and the Jacobi Medical Center. At the Hutch Campus, fellows report to the eighth floor, which is equipped with three ambulatory suites, an eight-bed postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and a 12-room examination office wing dedicated to pain medicine. The rest of the floor is shared by the Neurology/Headache Division, Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine. All specialties contribute to providing multidisciplinary pain services to the patient population. Our fellows spend 75% of their time at Hutch.

Fellows also rotate through Jacobi Medical Center, a component hospital of the NYC Health + Hospitals System, for a period of two months. They are trained in procedures in the operating room, inpatient consultations in a 24-bed inpatient unit and outpatient clinics with five examination rooms. Unique experiences at Jacobi Medical Center include advanced percutaneous surgeries and physiatric evaluation and management of chronic pain conditions.

Our multidisciplinary faculty supervises and trains fellows in various clinical, procedural and research components. During the 12-month training period, fellows receive training in comprehensive musculoskeletal (MSK) and neurological physical examinations, radiological interpretation, psychiatric evaluations, psychosocial aspects of clinical conditions, structural and functional assessments of acute and chronic pain conditions, opioid medication management, rehabilitation interventions and ancillary treatment modalities.

Our Program is highly research-oriented, featuring multiple ongoing and active clinical trials. Trainees are encouraged and required to participate in these trials. Sufficient resources, including dedicated time, support staff (dedicated research fellows), logistical assistance (such as materials), help with institutional review board (IRB) applications and statistical support, are provided to trainees.

The trainees are held to the highest standards of professionalism. They receive training to deliver cost-effective, long-lasting and appropriate care to the patient population, ensuring that every patient is presented with all options to effectively address their individual issues and achieve their short-term and long-term functional goals.

We hold regular weekly protected didactic sessions and Grand Rounds with faculty supervision and active participation from fellows. Trainees are required to prepare and present on various preselected educational topics under the guidance of faculty. They are also equipped to eventually complete board certification through structured question-and-answer sessions. All didactic sessions and seminars are led by a faculty member. Below is a sample list of clinical procedures in which each fellow will receive training.

Pain Medicine fellows receive direct supervision throughout the year during clinic and procedure time. Each of our attendings mentors them in two-month blocks. Learning occurs on-site in real-time during patient care hours. Teaching sessions, including didactics, board review and journal club meetings, occur weekly. The teaching staff supervises residents directly during all clinical duties.

All feedback and evaluations are given in a one-on-one setting. Additionally, fellows participate in anonymous 360-degree global evaluations that include faculty evaluations of fellows, fellow evaluations of faculty, and faculty and fellow evaluations of the Program.