Program Mission 

The program intends to produce proficient pain medicine consultants, that are skilled in interventional and non-interventional treatments, provide high-quality medical care that reduces disparities, are able to interact with diverse patient populations and healthcare teams, and are prepared to enter independent practice in academic or private practice settings.

Program Aims 

The Pain Medicine Fellowship is designed to develop and educate physicians having completed specialty training and exhibiting the competency for independent practice who: 

• Have attained the required competencies needed to provide pain management services to patients with acute and chronic pain diseases.
• Possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the safe conduct of pain medicine: including patient evaluation; interpretation and recognition of various pain syndromes; application and performance of invasive treatments; use of adjunct therapies; and understanding the appropriate use of multiple pharmacologic agents.
• Aim to foster a community that promotes collaboration and wellness.

Program Overview 

The Pain Medicine fellowship program consists of twelve months of post-graduate training after satisfactory completion of a residency program in Anesthesiology, Neurology, or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The fellowship program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. The fellows always exceed ACGME requirements due to a wide variety of clinical and research exposure. Pain fellows must obtain satisfactory evaluations in their primary and elective rotations leading to board certification in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The fellows are proactive in their learning by functioning as educators of the principles and techniques they learn during their fellowship. There is strong advocacy for the fellows by all the pain faculty. All fellow graduates are excellent pain medication and interventional pain consultants prepared to enter any practice, private or academic, independently and almost all graduates join their first job choice.

The Division of Pain Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham specializes in the multidisciplinary treatment of patients with acute, chronic, and cancer pain. Our primary goal is providing quality patient care in a setting that utilizes the resources of a large, academic institution. Located in the UAB Highlands facility, the Pain Treatment Clinic hosts 10,000 patient visits per year, including over 1,000 new patient evaluations and approximately 5,000 interventional pain procedures each year. Our division works closely in collaboration with the departments of PM&R, Orthopedics, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Palliative Care to provide comprehensive care for our patients.

Our comprehensive didactic program includes departmental Grand Rounds, Journal Club and a weekly Morning Conference covering the core curriculum of Pain Medicine. Fellow participation in research is strongly encouraged. Fellows will have advanced training in interventional pain techniques including:

• Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Epidural Injections – Transforaminal, Interlaminar, and Caudal
• Selective Nerve Root Blocks 
• Lumbar Facet Joint Injections
• Cervical and Lumbar Medial Branch Nerve Blocks
• Radiofrequency Ablation (spine and peripheral)
• Sacroiliac Joint Blocks
• Sympathetic Blocks – Stellate and Lumbar
• Diagnostic and Neurolytic Blocks – Celiac/Splanchnic, Hypogastric, and Ganglion Impar
• Occipital, Supraorbital, and other head and neck peripheral nerve blocks
• Botox
• Vertebral Augmentation
• Sphenopalatine Nerve Blocks
• Intercostal Nerve Blocks
• Spinal Cord Stimulators
• Peripheral Nerve Stimulators
• Management of Intrathecal Pumps
• Regional Anesthesia Techniques and other Ultrasound-Guided Interventions
• Infusion Therapies
• Epidural Blood Patches

Selection Process 

Selection of fellows is through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are reviewed through the Electronic Residency Application Service. It is based on written applications, academic records, scholarly activities and interviews. Further information regarding program structure is available upon request.

The Division of Pain Medicine is committed to providing an outstanding fellowship training experience. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have additional questions about the program.

Contact

Prentiss Lawson, Jr., M.D.
Program Director