Regional and Acute Pain Medicine
About our Program
The Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM) fellowship is a comprehensive, ACGME-accredited, 12-month program designed to train fellows to become experts in our dynamic field. Training includes neuraxial, perineural, truncal, and chest wall blocks, along with acute pain management for trauma, surgical, and nonsurgical patients. Fellows will also become proficient in the placement and management of perineural catheters, ultrasound-guided, and nerve stimulator localization techniques.
The 12-month fellowship is heavily geared toward mastering regional anesthesia techniques in the adult population both at University and Parkland Hospitals, however, the fellow will have a pediatric regional rotation at Children's Medical Center along with inpatient and outpatient chronic pain rotations at University and Parkland Hospitals. Through a fellowship in RAAPM, our fellows will become experts in perioperative medicine and will develop the expertise needed to excel in either academic or private practice environments.
The structure of this fellowship is consistent with the ACGME guidelines and sub-specialty common program requirements.
Goals and Objectives
- Provide in depth training in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine for graduates of accredited anesthesiology residency programs.
- Prepare fellowship graduates for academic careers in anesthesiology
- Prepare fellowship graduates to lead peri-operative teams of interdisciplinary personnel
- Expose fellows to clinical research related to regional anesthesia
- Prepare fellowship graduates to teach and train students, residents and colleagues
- Prepare fellowship graduates to facilitate optimal operating room management via enhanced patient recovery through the techniques and skills of regional anesthesia
Benefits
The below information is dependent on hospital affiliations within each fellowship*
- 20 Hour of PTO/Discretionary days per ACGME
- $1750 in Educational funds (use for conferences, travel, lap tops, lead aprons, books, exam fees, board exam fees, etc)
- $1300 addition Presentational Funds if approved when accepted to present an abstract at a conference
Our People:
The fellows will work regularly with a core faculty with diverse backgrounds and experience at top national institutions for RAAPM, including Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, UC San Diego, University of Florida, and Yale University.
Leadership Team
Division Chief, Fellowship Program Director
Fellowship Associate Program Director
Faculty
Director, Regional Anesthesia Service, Parkland Hospital
Professor and Vice Chair of Adult Clinical Operations, Clements University Hospital
Medical Director of Perioperative Services, Parkland Hospital
Director of RAAPM Rotation for Residents
Chief of Clinical Operations, Zale Lipshy Hospital
Current and Recent Fellows
2024-2025 Felllows
Cherry Abdou, M.D.
2023-2024 Fellows
Michele Van Hal, M.D.
Curriculum
Academic Expectations
The fellow will be expected to participate in departmental scholarly activities including participation in clinical research. Additionally, the fellow will be expected to present at journal club and divisional meetings. The fellow will be expected to engage in at least one novel scholarly project of his or her development. Examples include but are not limited to clinical research, book chapter writing, abstract or oral presentation at a national meeting. The fellow will be expected to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.
Education
- Formal weekly lecture series
- Longitudinal curriculum
- Monthly journal club
- Quarterly ultrasound scanning sessions
- Annual ultrasound workshop