Education
Education
INTERVENTIONAL SPINE & MUSCULOSKELETAL MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP
The primary goal is to cultivate the next generation of academic and clinical leaders in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine. This program is meticulously designed to impart specialized knowledge and skills in the management of individuals with spine and musculoskeletal disorders.
The Spine Fellowship Incorporates
- Exposure to acute, sub-acute and chronic spine and musculoskeletal pathology
- Extensive experience in University of Utah outpatient spine clinics with direct attending supervision, and progressive responsibility for independent work in the fellow’s continuity clinic
- Opportunity to rotate with radiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons, and immediate access to these specialists for consultation/education
- Exposure to shadowing spine-specialized physical therapists
- Maintain and sharpen electrodiagnostic skills (optional)
Didactic Education
- Core Fellowship Didactic Lecture Series: Spinal anatomy, kinesiology, diagnostics, therapeutics.
- Spinal procedure case conference
- Journal club sessions
- Ultrasound Bootcamp
- Department of PM&R Grand Rounds
Procedural Experience
- Fluoroscopic and Ultrasound-Guided Injections: Fellows learn fluoroscopically guided spinal injections and ultrasound-guided injections under direct attending supervision.
Balanced Procedural Exposure: Procedural volume consists of approximately 35% cervical, 5% thoracic, 55% lumbar, and 5% appendicular cases.
Comprehensive Spine and Pain Interventions: Experience includes procedures from the upper cervical to sacral levels, spinal and appendicular radiofrequency ablation, basivertebral nerve ablation, peripheral nerve stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, vertebral augmentation/kyphoplasty, and endoscopic surgical neurectomy.
Continuity Clinic Experience
- Fellow-Run Continuity Clinic: Fellows staff their own independent clinics three half-days per week, managing a dedicated panel of spine and musculoskeletal patients.
Progressive Autonomy with Faculty Oversight: Fellows independently evaluate patients and develop comprehensive diagnostic and treatment plans, with attending supervision and mentorship available as needed.
Longitudinal Patient Care: Emphasis on continuity allows fellows to follow patients over time, gaining experience in longitudinal management of acute, sub-acute, and chronic spine and musculoskeletal conditions.
Real-World Practice Experience: Clinic structure mirrors academic and private practice models, preparing fellows for clinical practice after graduation.
Integration of Advanced Diagnostics and Interventions: Fellows incorporate imaging review, electrodiagnostics (optional), interventional planning, and multidisciplinary care into patient management.
Teaching Opportunities
- Organize journal club conference
- Deliver lectures during didactic conferences
- Facilitate spinal procedure case conference
- Supervise medical students and PM&R residents during their clinical rotations
Cadaver Lab
- Early-Year Cadaver Training: Fellows participate in an attending-led cadaver-based training experience early in the academic year, focused on fluoroscopic spine and appendicular procedures.
- State-of-the-Art Training Environment: Cadaver labs are hosted in the University of Utah Surgical Knowledge Integration (SKI) Lab, providing a high-fidelity procedural learning environment.
- Ongoing Advanced Skills Development: Additional cadaver labs are available throughout the year and are dedicated to advanced pain and spine procedures.
