Curriculum

Interventional Pain Procedures:

Approximately 2-4 half days per week are spent in interventional procedures at The Center for Pain Management at the Gottschalk Medical Plaza. We utilize two brand-new fluoroscopy suites, a state of the art ultrasound machine, and seven recovery bays. All procedures are staffed by an attending physician and a radiology technician/technologist.

Clinic:

Approximately 3-5 half days per week are spent in our beautiful state-of-the-art outpatient Pain Medicine clinic at The Center for Pain Management at the Gottschalk Medical Plaza. In addition we occasionally staff a pain clinic at the main hospital campus in Orange, California(30 minutes from our primary clinic). At Gottschalk Medical Plaza, we utilize 6 examination rooms, an electromyography/ nerve conduction study machine (EMG machine) and a musculoskeletal ultrasound machine for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. We are located across the hall from UCI Physical Therapy affording us a close relationship with our therapist colleagues. One day per week, we house our own adult pain psychologist and pediatric pain psychologist, allowing the Fellow to experience the multimodal therapies useful in the treatment of chronic pain.

Electives:

Approximately 1-2 half days per week are spent in mandatory subspecialty rotations. UCI Medical Center is lucky to host ACGME-accredited residency training programs in Neurology, Anesthesiology, PM&R, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Radiology, making fulfillment of these ACGME-required elective experiences very easy. Our special affiliation with the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), which boasts a strong pediatric pain research program, provides our Fellows with a unique research opportunity. We are also closely aligned with the Palliative Care program whose faculty are Fellowship trained in Palliative Care. Finally, our fellows have access to specialized neuroradiology/ musculoskeletal radiology Fellowship training programs that will broaden their diagnostic and interventional experience.

The elective rotations include*:

• Palliative Care
• Neurology
• Anesthesiology
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (outpatient)
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (inpatient)
• Psychiatry
• Psychology (adult pain psychology and/or pediatric pain psychology)
• Neuroradiology
• Electrodiagnostics
• Pediatrics

*Fellows with residency completion in PM&R or Anesthesiology or Neurology or Psychiatry are excused from the applicable rotations.

Inpatient Acute and Chronic Pain Consultation Service:

Each Fellow will rotate through the Inpatient Pain Service, a consultation service for inpatients with acute or chronic pain. In addition they will have exposure to ultrasound guided regional anesthesia for approximately 4-8 weeks per year.

Research:

Each Fellow will have approximately 1-4 half days per month of guaranteed research time. This time can be spent on anything research-oriented, including: searching the literature, writing up proposals, or designing the study. Assistance with study design is also guaranteed as our department has our own Research Liaison, who is a MD/PhD who specializes in teaching residents and Fellows about research design, study design, and execution of those designs.

Additional Elective Time:

Approximately 10-20 days per year are incorporated into the schedule for additional elective time. The Fellow can chose any subspecialty related to Pain Medicine. Suggested electives include: Alternative & Complementary Medicine (at the Susan Samueli Center), Rheumatology, Neuroradiology, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Sports Medicine, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Interventional Radiology, Regional Anesthesiology.

Operation Room Procedures:

OR procedures which include trials of spinal cord stimulation, implantation of dorsal column and peripheral nerve stimulators, and trialing and implantation of intrathecal drug delivery systems occur in the new state of the art operating rooms at the New University Hospital.

Didactics:

Didactic events include small-group Board-oriented lectures (with review questions), morbidity and mortality conferences, physical examination practice sessions, journal club discussions and multidisciplinary case conferences. We have approximately 1-3 hours of didactics per week. The curriculum includes all ACGME-required topics plus didactics that focus on epidemiology and research preparation, research study design, Pain Medicine Board preparation, pain practice business preparation, and billing/coding just to name a few. Our Program Coordinator, Mr. Adrian Rodriguez, has a Masters Degree in Education, and spends sessions each year on 'Teaching Fellows to Teach'. Our curriculum, overall, is highly innovative and structured and well prepares graduates for both Board certification and practical knowledge and expertise.

Work Space:

The Fellows (and rotating residents) have their own dedicated office space with 5 computer stations, book and work space.

Call:

Fellows take about 1 week per month of at-home beeper call. When on call, the Fellow rounds on the weekend on inpatients on our consultation service. Work hours are kept within ACGME limits at all times. Although most Fellows find more free and enjoyable time in Fellowship as compared to residency, a department Wellness Center is available 24/7 to assist with stress management.

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