Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship

Overview

ACGME #3453113017

This fellowship is funded by an award from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. Fellows are trained at UPMC Mercy, a level 1 trauma center and home to the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. Fellows also rotate through UPMC Presbyterian and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The 1-year curriculum includes training in urology, inpatient SCI rehabilitation, consults and acute care, pulmonary medicine, outpatient SCI rehabilitation, and research. Fellows also participate in a continuity clinic. Rotations in outpatient evaluation will also occur at the Center for Assistive Technology, a joint program between the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. Please note that only applicants who have successfully completed an approved Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency program are eligible to apply for our SCI Fellowship. Additionally, due to funding limitations, our program cannot accept applicants who are ineligible to sit for the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM) Boards through the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR).

Value is added to the fellowship by the department's designation as an SCI Model System funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The prestigious model system designation is awarded only to programs demonstrating excellence in treatment and research.

The fellowship provides excellent exposure to all phases of SCI patient care including:

• Acute care at UPMC Presbyterian
• Inpatient rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute, UPMC Mercy
• Outpatient continuity clinics at UPMC Mercy
• Consultations at the UPMC Center for Assistive Technology (CAT), a joint program between UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh
• Spasticity management techniques including intrathecal baclofen pumps and neurotoxin injections
• Adult and pediatric outpatient clinics treating neurologic and medical conditions associated with SCI

Below are some of the great benefits available to our Spinal Cord Injury Medicine fellow:

• Competitive Salary and Benefits with access to Nationally Ranked Hospitals and Doctors.
• No calls and Optional Moonlighting Opportunities
• 20 days of Vacation Time
• Educational Stipend and Conference time.
• Faculty Mentorship

Educational Activities

Model Rotation Schedule
Rotations	Months	Site
Inpatient SCI	5	UPMC Mercy
Acute Care/Consults	2	UPMC Presbyterian
Urology	1	UPMC Mercy
Pulmonary Management	1	UPMC Presbyterian
Outpatient Evaluation	3	UPMC Rehab Institute Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC Presbyterian

Inpatient Experiences

UPMC is a leading hospital system in Pennsylvania and provides the fellow exposure to all levels of care in spinal cord injury medicine. 

Rotations in the acute care/trauma setting take place in UPMC adult and pediatric care centers. The fellow will engage in consults on patients with new SCI as well as readmission of SCI patients with new problems, patients with multiple sclerosis, or patients with spine or spinal cord dysfunction of another etiology. 

The fellow completes five months of inpatient rehabilitation training in our 20-bed SCI unit. The fellow helps to lead the interdisciplinary team to maximize patient recovery and independence. 

Specialty training in neurogenic bladder, urodynamic testing, and pulmonary management of patients with SCI is also provided.

Outpatient Experiences

During the outpatient rotation the fellow participates in a multitude of clinics with faculty from various departments within UPMC. Experiences include clinics for wheelchair and seating, spasticity, pain, orthopaedic spine, general spinal cord injury, and would care. Approximately 15% of the fellow's outpatient clinic rotation is spent in pediatric clinics.

Fellows participate in specialty outpatient clinics and programs and receive training treating conditions including:

• Botulinum toxin injections
• Baclofen pump management
• Adult and pediatric spina bifida
• Wheelchair and assistive technology

Research

Fellows will identify a research mentorship team at the start of their training, and fellows may receive financial support to promote research activities. Fellows are allotted ½ days per week of protected time to pursue their research interests. By the end of their training, the fellow is expected to submit at least one abstract to a national meeting and participate in writing a manuscript for a peer-reviewed publication.

Alumni

FELLOW NAME	LOCATION AFTER GRADUATION
Veronica Reyor, DO	Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY
Donald Distel, MD	University of Pennsylvania Health System   Philadelphia, PA
Brian Higdon, MD	Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital Jacksonville, FL
Geoff Henderson, MD	Syracuse VA Medical Center Syracuse, NY
Venessa Lee, MD	St. Luke’s Health System Kansas City, MO
Binnan Ong, DO	Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center Cleveland, OH
Michael Kryger, MD	Penn State Health Hershey, PA
Miriam Keramati, DO	Sinai Rehab Medicine Associates Baltimore, MD
Christine Cleveland, MD	UNC Center for Rehabilitation Care Chapel Hill, NC
Jessica Berry, MD	University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA
Maryln Ramos, MD	Einstein Health Care Network Moss Rehab Philadelphia, PA
Caroline Vail, DO	University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA

Download the program brochure for more information