The Birth of an EM Subspecialty: Pain Medicine

[Birdstrike]

11/22/2010

Dr. [Birdstrike] –



You request to consider pain medicine as a sub-specialty is being taken under advisement. Please be aware that the creation of a new sub-specialty is extremely difficult even in areas of a critical workforce need or in areas of great clinical importance.



ABEM is very limited data on the number of Emergency Physicians who have pursued certification in Pain Medicine through ACGME-accredited fellowships. Any information you have would be helpful.



Regards,



XXXX XXXXXXX



**** all XXXXXXX and words in [ ] are post hoc edits by myself

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Birdstrike]

7/16/2013

[Birdstrike]-

ABEM is pursuing certification co-sponsorship in Pain Medicine. I’d like to talk to you about it. Is there a time when we could chat?

With Warmest Regards,

XXXXX



XXXXXXXXXXXXX

American Board of Emergency Medicine

3000 Coolidge Road

East Lansing, MI 48823-6319

xxx-xxx-xxxx

 

[Birdstrike]

7/16/2013

xxxx,

Wow, that's great. That absolutely needs to happen. I think EPs have a tremendous amount to offer the subspecialty of Pain Medicine. Sure, I'd be happy to talk with you. I'm available today after 4pm, and usually any evening after 5pm. Call anytime.

Thanks,

[Birdstrike]
xxx-xxx-xxxx cell


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Birdstrike]

7/16/2013

[Birdstrike] –

I’ll call around 4:30 PM today.

Thank you

xxxx

 

[Birdstrike]

7/16/2013


XXXX,

Here are the names of Emergency Physicians who've done ACGME accredited Pain Medicine fellowships, that I am aware of, other than myself:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please, keep me posted with any developments in this matter. Thanks again, for your help.

[Birdstrike]

 

[Birdstrike]

10/30/2013

xxxx,

I was wondering if there's been any progress on ABEMs attempt to get co-sponsorship in Pain Medicine. I just spoke to an EM resident who is accepted to an ACGME Pain fellowship for 2014-2015, yet the American Board of PMR is no longer going to allow candidates from an EM background to sit for the Pain Boards, as of 2014, even if ACGME pain fellowship trained. (Please see attachment, below). That seems like an awfully unfair, and precarious position to be in, for an EM resident and ACGME accredited Pain fellow-to-be. I don't know how it can be that one is allowed to do ACGME/ABMS training, yet not be allowed sit for the boards in the same field. Hopefully, this means ABEM is close to co-sponsorship, which would make the issue irrelevant. We have a proven track record of multiple EM-background physicians who have done Pain fellowships, performed exceptionally in fellowship, passed the Pain Boards without difficulty, and are successfully practicing Pain Medicine at high levels in academic and private practice. Any thoughts?

[Birdstrike] MD

 

[Birdstrike]

10/30/2013

[Birdstrike]
I'm traveling and will give you a better answer tomorrow
We are very close to a Cosponsorship agreement
XXXX

 

[Birdstrike]

10/31/2013

Dear [Birdstrike] –

Thank you for your email yesterday. As we discussed earlier, ABEM submitted an application to the American Board of Medical Specialties on August, 23, 2013 [which Birdstrike wrote but whose name was removed was no significant alterations, then signed by the then president of ACEP] to become a co-sponsor for certification in Pain Medicine. This was done with the support of the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.



The committee that reviews these applications is the Committee on Certification (COCERT). COCERT will review the application on March 13, 2014. The ABMS Reserve Powers Board will consider this for final approval on April 24, 2014.



Though there is NEVER any guarantee that COCERT will recommend approval and that the ABMS Board will approve the application, ABEM has received favorable feedback to date. Moreover, I’ve had conversations with the other sponsoring boards and they do not want to harm or disadvantage EM fellows in Pain Fellowships. However, they definitely want to push ABEM to become a co-sponsor. Some of what you are reading from the ABPM reflects the assumption by the ABPM that ABEM will be successful in its effort to become a co-sponsor.



Again, there are no guarantees.

I hope this information is helpful.

Thank you for your continued interest in ABEM activities.



xxxx

 

[Birdstrike]

4/27/2014

[Birdstrike] –

On April 24, 2014, the American Board of Medical Specialties unanimously approved the ABEM certification co-sponsorship of Pain Medicine for ABEM-certified physicians (diplomates). ABEM diplomates seeking certification and recertification in Pain Medicine can apply to ABEM for upcoming examinations. We will be building the process by which this can be accomplished in the next few months.

Please feel free to share this news will your associates.



Most importantly, thank you for your contribution to this effort. You have made a difference in our specialty.



With warmest regards,



xxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

American Board of Emergency Medicine

 

[Birdstrike]

xxxx,

Thank you very much. This is great news. This is a good thing for our specialty. Also, I think Pain Medicine will be significantly improved by having a seat at the table for Emergency physicians. Thanks again for doing this.

[Birdstrike] MD

 

[RustedFox]

Birdstrike wins the internet, wins SDN, and wins ABEM.

"Save the day - the night - and the girl, too."

 

[dchristismi]

We could use some winning of late around here.

 

[GatorCHOMPions]

Thank you! I consider myself a Disciple of Birdstrike and will be forever thankful for your efforts above. I’m currently in fellowship and know that EM’s seat at the table is well deserved.

 

[bravotwozero]

cool thread!

 

[Birdstrike]

Birdstrike wins the internet, wins SDN, and wins ABEM.

"Save the day - the night - and the girl, too."

Notice the dates on the emails. The first one is 2010. That's right around when I joined SDN and wrote my first ever SDN post, which read, "That's it. I'm done. I'm leaving Emergency Medicine." That was my intent. But what I ended up doing, was tying myself to the specialty forever, in this way, which is a good thing.

Notice the gap between the first and second emails. Three years! In that time, I had already applied to pain, interviewed, gotten accepted, started fellowship, completed it and passed the boards, before they ever got back to me. Then, once the mission is finally successful in 2014, I had already been boarded in Pain and in my first job for almost two years.

But as I sit here digging through ten to eleven year old emails, I can't find the very first one I sent to ABEM, for some reason. The email chain starts with the second email in the chain, ABEM's response to my initial email. I also can't find the letter they asked me to write that became part of ABEM and ACEPs application to the ABA, to bring Pain under the umbrella of EM, for some reason. That was actually a pretty good document. It was essentially my treatise on why EM physicians had the skills, background and deserved to have the opportunity to learn and practice the field of Pain Medicine. It was re-write of my initial email to ABEM, with essentially no modifications. I'm not sure if my email server deleted these emails, if I sent them from an old account, or what happened.

 

[Birdstrike]

Thank you! I consider myself a Disciple of Birdstrike and will be forever thankful for your efforts above. I’m currently in fellowship and know that EM’s seat at the table is well deserved.

No. Thank you, but I don't deserve any accolades. The only reason I was able to start down this path is because of 3 EM docs who'd done it first, plus a fellowship director (and admission committee) that gave me a shot. But even that was due to 2 EM docs that those Pain docs who'd gone down this path before me. I only moved the ball and extra yard or two down the field.

I just wanted to document this process here, before my emails ended up deleted or before I was unable.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Congrats! We definitely need more options to get ourselves out of indentured servitude.

 

[Angry Birds]

Notice the dates on the emails. The first one is 2010. That's right around when I joined SDN and wrote my first ever SDN post, which read, "That's it. I'm done. I'm leaving Emergency Medicine." That was my intent. But what I ended up doing, was tying myself to the specialty forever, in this way, which is a good thing.

Notice the gap between the first and second emails. Three years! In that time, I had already applied to pain, interviewed, gotten accepted, started fellowship, completed it and passed the boards, before they ever got back to me. Then, once the mission is finally successful in 2014, I had already been boarded in Pain and in my first job for almost two years.

This is a great story. Amazing.