Pain Medicine Fellowship Curriculum

Clinical

A major emphasis of our ACGME-Accredited Pain Medicine Fellowship is the development of well-rounded clinical skills, including the diagnosis and comprehensive management of spine and pain conditions. Fellows train under a diverse faculty with backgrounds in anesthesiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), and pediatric anesthesia/pain medicine. Clinical exposures occur at University Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and community practice sites throughout the greater Denver metroplex. Patients of all ages are seen throughout fellowship training.

Fellows work in structured rotation blocks alongside faculty, allowing for longitudinal mentorship and progressive independence. All fellows receive periodic exposure at Children’s Hospital Colorado (typically 1–2 days per week via 2-month block scheduling), ensuring consistent pediatric and adolescent pain training/experience for all fellows.
Fellows receive extensive hands-on training in a wide range of fluoroscopically and ultrasound-guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures targeting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, sacroiliac joints, peripheral joints, and tendons. Training also incorporates ultrasound-guided techniques and regenerative approaches where clinically appropriate. Procedures include, but are not limited to:

• Epidural steroid injections
  • Transforaminal
  • Interlaminar
  • Caudal
• Spinal facet joint interventions
  • Intra-articular injections
  • Medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation
• Sacroiliac joint interventions
  • Intra-articular injections
  • Lateral branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation
• Intradiscal procedures
  • Provocation discography
  • PRP injections
• Basivertebral nerve ablation
• Peripheral join interventions
  • Intra-articular injections
  • Radiofrequency ablation of the knee (genicular nerves), hip (femoral and obturator articular sensory nerves), and shoulder (lateral pectoral, axillary, and suprascapular articular sensory nerves)
• Peripheral nerve blocks
• Sympathetic blocks
• Neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulators and peripheral nerve stimulators)

Research/Quality Improvement

• All fellows will actively participate in a research and/or quality improvement project throughout the year.
• Dedicated research time is available and can be tailored to the project in coordination with the program director.
• Fellows present their scholarly work to pain and spine faculty, fellows, and residents during the fellowship year.

Didactic/Journal Clubs

• Fellows participate in weekly didactic sessions and journal clubs covering broad and focused topics in pain medicine, musculoskeletal medicine, and sports medicine.
• Opportunities exist to teach residents and medical students in both small-group sessions and formal lectures.

​Electrodiagnostics​