AAPM&R

Fellowship Training

In this day and age of health care reform, the questions of whether or not residents should pursue additional training (a fellowship) in a subspecialty often surfaces. Some believe that the knowledge and expertise gained during fellowship training is an indispensable asset to their professional career, while others believe that solid residency training in general rehabilitation is sufficient for a future in this field.

The decision of whether or not to pursue additional training is often a difficult one for residents. A good place to start is to investigate and determine what type of subspecialties interest you. Following are a few resources that can help you find out what fellowships and additional training are available.

• Fellowship Database
  This searchable database, with more than 135 additional training opportunities, is available to residents in physiatry and those considering a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation. It covers more than 25 different subspecialties or training opportunities and includes address and contact name along with e-mail and Web site addresses when available.

• The Association of Academic Physiatrists’ Directory of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Training Programs. The directory contains a fellowship listing. You can view the directory at http://www.physiatry.org/Publications_Residency_Training_Directory.cfm.

• American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). You can obtain a listing of electrodiagnostic medicine fellowships by visiting the AANEM Web site at http://www.aanem.org/education/training/fellowship_listing.cfm

• Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR). PASSOR has a Fellowship/Elective Directory that contains information pertaining to spine, sports, and musculoskeletal medicine. This directory is available to PASSOR members only by calling (312) 464-9700.

• American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Additional training is available in this area through a two-year residency program. You can learn more by calling ACOEM at  (847) 818-1800 or by visiting http://www.acoem.org.

Becoming well informed about the various fellowships offered is essential in making this decision. Information can also be obtained by rotating at the programs in consideration, reading available literature, and talking to program directors, fellows (former or current), and residents who have had some experience with the programs in consideration.