MD Anderson

[PAINISGOOD]

Any fellows currently or people who have done a fellowship here or anyone with any info on the pain fellowship please tell me what their opinions on the program were. Thanks.

PAINISGOOD

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[Doctodd]

When i was in residency all they did was manage heavy narcotics. The fellow could assist on a pump once in awhile if Haschenbush(spelling?) was cool with it and clinic was light. However, that was with the old program director. The next year i think a new director was coming in who i respected quite a bit for his procedure skills. That was in 2001-02. I would go elsewhere.

T

 

[PainFellow]

I am a fellow at MD Anderson and can tell you things have greatly changed. We are highly interventional and have an amazing faculty. We do everything! After less than two months in the program I've already done several pumps, stimulators and vertebroplasties. We only do a few proceedures in the clinic but that will change when we move to our new clinic (with fluoro suite) in 1-2 months.

I interviewed at several top programs and it was my first choice. I haven't been disappointed!

 

[PAINISGOOD]

I am a fellow at MD Anderson and can tell you things have greatly changed. We are highly interventional and have an amazing faculty. We do everything! After less than two months in the program I've already done several pumps, stimulators and vertebroplasties. We only do a few proceedures in the clinic but that will change when we move to our new clinic (with fluoro suite) in 1-2 months.

I interviewed at several top programs and it was my first choice. I haven't been disappointed!

So what is a typical day for you like during clinic and during procedures? What time do you get in? How many patients do you see in a day? How many procedures a day? When do you go home? What is the call schedule like?

thanks,

PAINISGOOD

 

[PainFellow]

The program takes 4 fellows. In order to have exposure to a noncancer population we each do two outside electives, so for most of the year there are only three of us there. One person does proceedures, one covers clinic and one covers consults. We do proceedures 3-4 days per week and take turns in the OR so that everyone gets a proceedure day. If you're in the clinic or on consults and are not busy, you are free to go scrub in with the fellow in the OR. For the early cases, we usually pair up and share. For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back. We often have cases involving multiple proceedures and/or levels (vertebroplasty, RFA, etc.), which allows us to share. So although you might only have one official proceedure day, you usually get to do several of the other cases as well. There are also a few proceedures in the clinic and on the floors (intrathecal trials, trigger point injections, nerve blocks etc.). Lastly, our program is unique in that we have several PAs that see followups, both in the clinic and on the floors, which frees us up to focus on new patients and proceedures.

We come in between 6:45 and 8 depending on the OR schedule, and usually leave by 5. We take call a week at a time, but never have to go in after hours as everything is handled by phone. Also, the Monday after your call week, you get to leave at noon. However, the best thing about the program is our faculty and staff. Everyone is amazingly easy going and friendly. It's a very supportive environment...I love it here

 

[PAINISGOOD]

The program takes 4 fellows. In order to have exposure to a noncancer population we each do two outside electives, so for most of the year there are only three of us there. One person does proceedures, one covers clinic and one covers consults. We do proceedures 3-4 days per week and take turns in the OR so that everyone gets a proceedure day. If you're in the clinic or on consults and are not busy, you are free to go scrub in with the fellow in the OR. For the early cases, we usually pair up and share. For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back. We often have cases involving multiple proceedures and/or levels (vertebroplasty, RFA, etc.), which allows us to share. So although you might only have one official proceedure day, you usually get to do several of the other cases as well. There are also a few proceedures in the clinic and on the floors (intrathecal trials, trigger point injections, nerve blocks etc.). Lastly, our program is unique in that we have several PAs that see followups, both in the clinic and on the floors, which frees us up to focus on new patients and proceedures.

We come in between 6:45 and 8 depending on the OR schedule, and usually leave by 5. We take call a week at a time, but never have to go in after hours as everything is handled by phone. Also, the Monday after your call week, you get to leave at noon. However, the best thing about the program is our faculty and staff. Everyone is amazingly easy going and friendly. It's a very supportive environment...I love it here

Thank you for the info Painfellow. I have a few more questions.

1) Do you think that not seeing the follow-up patients will affect you in the future in your practice (i.e., not knowing if your interventions/medications are benefiting the patient?) thus, not knowing how to tweak or change your approach?

2) "For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back." Pardon my ignorance but what does that mean?

3) What is home call like?

4) How many hours do you work a week?

5) Where do most fellows that graduate from MD Anderson go? Is it mostly private practice or academics?

6) I am thinking of private practice at this moment so I wanted to know how the market is post-fellowship in Houston? Are there plenty of jobs?

7) What is the malpractice premium in Houston for private practice pain?


thanks!!

PAINISGOOD

 

[PAINISGOOD]

Thank you for the info Painfellow. I have a few more questions.

1) Do you think that not seeing the follow-up patients will affect you in the future in your practice (i.e., not knowing if your interventions/medications are benefiting the patient?) thus, not knowing how to tweak or change your approach?

2) "For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back." Pardon my ignorance but what does that mean?

3) What is home call like?

4) How many hours do you work a week?

5) Where do most fellows that graduate from MD Anderson go? Is it mostly private practice or academics?

6) I am thinking of private practice at this moment so I wanted to know how the market is post-fellowship in Houston? Are there plenty of jobs?

7) What is the malpractice premium in Houston for private practice pain?


thanks!!

PAINISGOOD

BUMP---any takers???

 

[PainDr]

1) Do you think that not seeing the follow-up patients will affect you in the future in your practice (i.e., not knowing if your interventions/medications are benefiting the patient?) thus, not knowing how to tweak or change your approach?

No, I don't think this will be a problem. Many of our patients have already tried multiple medications regimens. We are rarely the first to intervene and commonly see the most intractable patients. It's one of the reasons I chose the program.

2) "For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back." Pardon my ignorance but what does that mean?

front=pump pocket, back=catheter placement

3) What is home call like?

Everything is handled by phone. The volume is variable, some nights you get many calls, some nights none. Regardless, it's cake compared to residency.

4) How many hours do you work a week?

I'd say on average 45-55 hrs per week...rarely more and rarely less.

5) Where do most fellows that graduate from MD Anderson go? Is it mostly private practice or academics?

I only know about the past 2-3 groups. Several have stayed on as faculty, others have gone into private practice.

6) I am thinking of private practice at this moment so I wanted to know how the market is post-fellowship in Houston? Are there plenty of jobs?

I don't know much about that yet. I've heard Houston is fairly saturated, but Texas, in general, has plenty of jobs (all this is hearsay as I've just now started looking).

7) What is the malpractice premium in Houston for private practice pain?

I have no idea.

Hope this helps.

 

[PAINISGOOD]

1) Do you think that not seeing the follow-up patients will affect you in the future in your practice (i.e., not knowing if your interventions/medications are benefiting the patient?) thus, not knowing how to tweak or change your approach?

No, I don't think this will be a problem. Many of our patients have already tried multiple medications regimens. We are rarely the first to intervene and commonly see the most intractable patients. It's one of the reasons I chose the program.

2) "For example, when doing pumps, one person does the front and one does the back." Pardon my ignorance but what does that mean?

front=pump pocket, back=catheter placement

3) What is home call like?

Everything is handled by phone. The volume is variable, some nights you get many calls, some nights none. Regardless, it's cake compared to residency.

4) How many hours do you work a week?

I'd say on average 45-55 hrs per week...rarely more and rarely less.

5) Where do most fellows that graduate from MD Anderson go? Is it mostly private practice or academics?

I only know about the past 2-3 groups. Several have stayed on as faculty, others have gone into private practice.

6) I am thinking of private practice at this moment so I wanted to know how the market is post-fellowship in Houston? Are there plenty of jobs?

I don't know much about this yet. I've heard Houston is fairly saturated, but Texas, in general, has plenty of jobs (all this is heresay as I've just now started looking).

7) What is the malpractice premium in Houston for private practice pain?

I have no idea.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated!