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The Pain and Palliative Care Service of the Department of Neurology offers a one- and two-year program of clinical practice and research training. This program is available to individuals who have completed a residency in adult or pediatric neurology, internal medicine, physical medicine, or family practice. Medical oncology fellows may also participate.
Purpose
With emphasis on cancer pain management, the program's purpose is to train physicians to become specialists in palliative medicine. The focus of training and research will be the development of expertise in:
- Diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes associated with cancer and cancer therapy
- Use of analgesic drug therapy
- Utilization of anaesthetic, neurosurgical, psychiatric, and cognitive behavioral approaches
- Diagnosis and treatment of symptoms associated with cancer
- Diagnosis and treatment of the neurological complications of cancer
- Evaluation and treatment of psychiatric complications associated with pain and cancer
- Clinical research methods used to address symptom control and quality of life
- Basic principles and practical applications of the medical ethics of pain management and palliative care
Year One
During the first year, the trainee rotates through the Inpatient Pain Consultation Service, where approximately 40 to 60 consultations per month are seen and managed with daily involvement by the attending staff. In the Outpatient Clinic, fellows see patients with the attending physicians. These patients are referred from the Inpatient Pain Consultation Service, other outpatient clinics, or from outside institutions. The outpatient experience allows fellows to follow patients over time and to learn about community services/supports, family dynamics, etc. Fellows will also rotate through the Anesthesia Pain Service and through the Pain and Palliative Care Inpatient Unit.
Year Two
During the second year, the trainees will devote the majority of their time to research, which is usually focused on:
- Studies of the prevalence and characteristics of pain and other symptoms (i.e. fatigue, depression, xerostomia, etc.) in various tumor types
- Studies to assess the safety and efficacy of novel analgesic treatments
- The application of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic models for the use of analgesic drugs
- The development of pain- and symptom-assessment tools
- Studies that address the common ethical dilemmas encountered in the care of patients with terminal illness and pain
In addition, investigations involving PET and fMRI imaging are being conducted with emphasis on the mechanisms of pain associated with neurological conditions. Laboratory research in the molecular pharmacology is also available. Research will be determined for the trainee in consultation with one of the Pain and Palliative Care faculty members.
- Program Director
- Application Deadline
- Rolling Admission
- Length of Program
- 1 to 2 years
- Eligibility
Applicants must have completed a neurology, internal medicine, physiatry, family practice, or pediatrics residency and attained qualification to sit for the board examination in their specialty. They must have completed USMLE I, II, III.
Foreign medical graduates with equivalent qualifications are also eligible to apply. They must have completed all three of the USMLE examinations and hold a valid ECFMG certificate.
- Number of Positions
- 6
- How To Apply
Please send us your CV*, a personal statement, and three letters of reference (one must be from your current program director). Subsequently we will send you a Graduate Medical Education Application and other paperwork.
*Your CV must include all positions held from medical school to the present, including any positions or programs that were begun but not completed. All time periods must be explained, in the format Month/Year to Month/Year, and in chronological order starting with the most recent. Additionally, please include the date on which your CV was last revised.
The personal statement should cover the following:
- Career Plans
What are your clinical, research, and educational goals? What are your expectations of a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering?
- Palliative Care
Discuss what sparked your interest in working with cancer patients and in the field of palliative medicine.
- Pain Management
Discuss why you are interested in focusing on pain and symptom management.
- Additional Information
All trainees participate in the weekly teaching and conference activities of the Service. In addition, trainees may attend the weekly Neurology Grand Rounds at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Psychiatry Grand Rounds at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Trainees are responsible for presenting clinical cases at the Service's daily multidisciplinary rounds, as well as at the weekly Supportive Care/Outpatient Conference and weekly Grand Rounds. Trainees will also attend the Service's weekly research meetings and Fellows' Journal Club. This participation allows trainees to develop a depth of knowledge in the areas of neuro-oncology, pain, and palliative medicine.
The Barbara Ziegler Palliative Care Educational Program (ZPEP)is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of Pain and Palliative Care educational and research activities. Fellows can participate in this initiative to formalize the clinical training of medical students and medical residents in pain management and end-of-life care issues. Fellows also have the opportunity to do observerships and rotations at Calvary Hospital, a facility for terminally ill cancer patients; North General Hospital, a community-centered hospital in Harlem; or at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Department of Anesthesia. These opportunities allow fellows to supplement their education with exposure to different healthcare services and environments with a diversity of patient populations. Other electives can be arranged on an individual basis.
The Barbara Ziegler Palliative Care Education Program coordinates the Pain and Palliative Care Fellowship. All initial correspondence will be done through ZPEP.
- Contact
- Freya Wigler
- E-mail
- wiglerf@mskcc.org
- Phone
- 212-639-2181
- Address
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10065
