Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Clinical Experience
The Mass General Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia Fellowship is structured through core rotations as follows:
Introduction to Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia - 1 month
Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia - 8 months
Pediatric Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia - 1 month
Academic/Elective - 1 month
Below are more detailed descriptions of each rotation.
a. Introduction Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia - MGH
The year begins with an introductory month, during which time the fellow will gain familiarity with the environment, procedures, and personnel. During this period, the fellow will round with the Acute Pain Service and perform blocks under the supervision of an acute pain/regional anesthesia attending.
b. Acute Pain Management and Regional Anesthesia - MGH
This rotation forms the core of the fellow's experience. Fellows, under an attending pain physician's close supervision, will oversee residents during evaluations and procedures. Fellows will be consulted to evaluate patients with a wide variety of perioperative pain issues. The Acute Pain Service logs approximately 8,000 patient encounters per year and the Regional Anesthesia Service is equally as active - performing over 1,900 regional blocks annually.
Following this rotation, fellows will demonstrate competency in the investigation, evaluation, and care of the acute pain patient; in the appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence; and in improvements of the patient's perioperative care. Fellows are expected to demonstrate use of clinical skills of interviewing, data gathering, and physical examination to perform a thorough assessment of a patient with acute pain, formulate a safe plan for management of acute pain, and discuss management options in the event of complications.
Fellows will receive comprehensive hands-on training in regional and neuraxial anesthesia and should demonstrate competence in both single shot and continuous infusion blocks of the upper extremity, lower extremity, and trunk. Fellows will demonstrate competence in performing thoracic epidurals and lumbar epidurals as part of a comprehensive approach to post surgical pain management.
c. Pediatric Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia - Children's Hospital
Fellows rotate for one month at The Children's Hospital in Boston, MA. Children's Hospital provides highly specialized care for infants, children, and adolescents. This rotation provides an in-depth exposure to acute pain management and regional anesthesia in the pediatric population and will give fellows an opportunity to refine their knowledge and skills. Fellows will be involved in the assessment and management of perioperative pain in pediatric patients of all ages, under the supervision of experienced pediatric acute pain physician.
d. Academic/Elective
Fellows are provided the opportunity to pursue a one-month clinical experience of their choosing. The elective must be directly related to pain medicine and must be approved by the Fellowship Director. The function of the elective is to allow each fellow to focus on their particular interests.
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