Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Phoenix) Program

The Pain Medicine Fellowship at Mayo Clinic's campus in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, offers an innovative and rigorous training program that equips fellows with the skills required for effective management of acute, chronic, and oncologic pain. This multidisciplinary program adopts a problem-oriented approach to patient care, enabling fellows to gather comprehensive patient histories, execute focused physical examinations, and order appropriate diagnostic tests to ascertain patient needs effectively. Additionally, the fellowship's training environment has contributed to an impressive 100% certification board exam pass rate for its graduates and the program has been recognized as the #1 hospital in Arizona for over a decade, as per U.S. News rankings for 2024-251.

The fellowship's curriculum includes extensive training in medical management of pain and interventional pain techniques such as peripheral nerve blocks, trigger point injections, epidural injections, radiofrequency lesioning, continuous epidural infusions, intrathecal drug delivery systems, and spinal cord stimulation. Moreover, fellows gain clinical exposure to adjacent fields such as psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and neurology, which are instrumental in developing a holistic understanding of pain management1.

Accreditation

The Pain Medicine Fellowship adheres to accreditation standards set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and prepares its fellows for the American Board of Anesthesiology Pain Medicine Certification examination, thereby affirming its commitment to upholding and delivering high educational standards in the field of pain medicine.1

Application Process

Each year, the Pain Medicine Fellowship offers two positions to highly competitive applicants. Interested candidates must submit their applications via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) by May 31 of the year prior to the program's commencement, which traditionally starts in July. All appointments are managed through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) with a specific code assigned for the fellowship. Applicants selected for further consideration are invited for an in-person interview at Mayo Clinic, which occurs in August prior to the match date. The program facilitates a one-night accommodation for candidates at the nearby Marriott Courtyard Hotel to ease their travel to the interview2.3.

Curriculum Overview

The Pain Medicine Fellowship entails a variety of clinical rotations essential for comprehensive training, including physical medicine and rehabilitation, neuroradiology, neurology, and pediatric pain management. One notable component of the fellowship curriculum is a one-week intensive Anatomy Lab course held at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota. This crucial aspect aims to refine fellows' skills in advanced pain management procedures, fostering an environment of skill enhancement and safety-oriented training through Mayo Clinic's state-of-the-art Multidisciplinary Simulation Center located in Phoenix, Arizona3.

Teaching and Scholarly Activities

Fellows are not only participants in patient care but are also given the opportunity to teach pain-specific subjects to anesthesiology residents and medical students. Regular evaluations of performance ensure that educational objectives are met, with formal evaluations occurring quarterly alongside significant feedback mechanisms to enhance the quality of training. Furthermore, fellows have access to design and conduct a research project in various pain-related fields, promoting scholarly activity alongside clinical responsibilities3.

Faculty and Mentoring

The faculty within the Pain Medicine Fellowship is a collaborative group of anesthesiologists with expertise in various subspecialties. Each fellow is assigned a faculty adviser who assists in tailoring the educational experience to align with the fellow’s career objectives. The program encourages interaction with visiting professors who enhance the educational experience through lectures and clinical rounds, ensuring that fellows benefit from diverse perspectives in pain medicine research and practice4.

Fellows' Experience and Alumni Success

The fellows’ experience in the Pain Medicine Fellowship is characterized by a supportive environment that emphasizes collaborative learning and high-quality patient care. Upon completion, graduates of the program have been successful in various career paths, including roles in private practice and academic institutions. The Mayo Clinic Alumni Association facilitates continued professional relationships and educational opportunities for program graduates, fostering lifelong connections within the professional community.

Visa Sponsorship and Competitiveness

The Pain Medicine Fellowship at Mayo Clinic offers visa support for eligible international applicants. Common visa types sponsored include the J-1 visa, which is applicable for exchange visitors, and the H-1B visa for specialty occupations. The program is known for its competitiveness, attracting a diverse pool of candidates, including both U.S. graduates and international medical graduates (IMGs) who find the program to be supportive and welcoming.

Special Application Requirements

While the fellowship is highly competitive, applicants should be aware of additional special application requirements. Candidates must hold a degree completed within a certain timeframe and a maximum of one failure on STEP exams is generally considered acceptable. These factors are important for applicants to keep in mind when preparing their applications to ensure compliance with the program's criteria.