2023-2024 Pain Fellowship Application Thread (2024)

Hey everyone!

I figured we could get this going since the new cycle has already started.

Link to new Google doc: 2023-2024 Pain Fellowship Application Google Doc

Good luck!

NVO said:

Hows everyone doing? Hate how drawn out this process is

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Only received 3 interview invites so far with one being a waitlist. :/ Shooting for 10-11 but we'll see

SubAcuteAngel said:

Only received 3 interview invites so far with one being a waitlist. :/ Shooting for 10-11 but we'll see

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What are your stats? DO or MD? Speciality? Research? I would really appreciate it as I would be applying next year

Itsarainbow said:

What are your stats? DO or MD? Speciality? Research? I would really appreciate it as I would be applying next year

See Also

SPS Jahreskongress 2023 | Swiss Pain SocietySwiss Postdoctoral FellowshipsPain Medicine Fellowship | NYU Langone Health

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I'm a DO, anesthesia, with 9 interview invites currently.

NVO said:

I'm a DO, anesthesia, with 9 interview invites currently.

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Congrats! Any advice to a fellow DO applying next year? I'm coming in from neuro. Only case reports under my belt but not pain related. Hoping to start a headache related research this summer.

Itsarainbow said:

Congrats! Any advice to a fellow DO applying next year? I'm coming in from neuro. Only case reports under my belt but not pain related. Hoping to start a headache related research this summer.

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Your best bet is to reach out to fellow neuro collegues on their success with matching pain fellowship. That will be the biggest challenge, not the DO part. I'm at a large academic anesthesia program and have had no issues with being a DO so far in this application process.

Itsarainbow said:

What are your stats? DO or MD? Speciality? Research? I would really appreciate it as I would be applying next year

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Meh step scores, MD, PM&R, minimal research. I got 4 interviews total (3 outside of home program). My chances of matching aren't great but I'm inclined to not reapply. I like inpatient rehab and could see myself happy doing that.

SubAcuteAngel said:

Meh step scores, MD, PM&R, minimal research. I got 4 interviews total (3 outside of home program). My chances of matching aren't great but I'm inclined to not reapply. I like inpatient rehab and could see myself happy doing that.

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Hope you get a few more invites. Did you apply broadly?

Proforma said:

What the hell happened today?

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WYM?

Proforma said:

What the hell happened today?

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Pain medicine is simply less competitive, likely from a lot less anesthesia applicants combined with PDs not considering non "core" specialties (psych, neurology, EM, etc). General market is hot so a lot less interest from anesthesia folk. Tough to say no to 500k+ starting salary, 8-10+ vacations.. i think someone calculated the opportunity cost of 1 year fellowship vs doing general projected over one's career is in the millions. PDs probably also all interviewed the same batch of anesthesia/PMR residents.

GandalfTheWhite said:

WYM?

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>60 spots open amongst >30 programs unfilled including programs like UVA, Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth, Texas Tech (did not fill any spots), etc etc

NVO said:

Pain medicine is simply less competitive, likely from a lot less anesthesia applicants combined with PDs not considering non "core" specialties (psych, neurology, EM, etc). General market is hot so a lot less interest from anesthesia folk. Tough to say no to 500k+ starting salary, 8-10+ vacations.. i think someone calculated the opportunity cost of 1 year fellowship vs doing general projected over one's career is in the millions. PDs probably also all interviewed the same batch of anesthesia/PMR residents.

>60 spots open amongst >30 programs unfilled including programs like UVA, Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth, Texas Tech (did not fill any spots), etc etc

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Is this the worst year yet? More unfilled programs than applicants.

GandalfTheWhite said:

Is this the worst year yet? More unfilled programs than applicants.

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Yep. Last year there was about 19 unfilled seats I think. Fellowship programs keep expanding too

NVO said:

Pain medicine is simply less competitive, likely from a lot less anesthesia applicants combined with PDs not considering non "core" specialties (psych, neurology, EM, etc). General market is hot so a lot less interest from anesthesia folk. Tough to say no to 500k+ starting salary, 8-10+ vacations.. i think someone calculated the opportunity cost of 1 year fellowship vs doing general projected over one's career is in the millions. PDs probably also all interviewed the same batch of anesthesia/PMR residents.

>60 spots open amongst >30 programs unfilled including programs like UVA, Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth, Texas Tech (did not fill any spots), etc etc

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Can someone please share the list of unfilled programs?

GandalfTheWhite said:

Is this the worst year yet? More unfilled programs than applicants.

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probably. because historically it was 75% match rate. very competitive

HouseofPain said:

Does Texas tech have a decent program now? 10 years ago they couldn’t get anyone

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They’re a decent program. Not remotely #1 like they used to be. But still sounds like they’re pretty good. Decent advanced exposure. I liked the PD a lot when I met him, but he’s a love him or hate him kind of guy. Sounds like can be very demanding to train under him, not always in useful ways. Disclaimer that I don’t know anybody who has trained there recently and this is all hearsay, I interviewed there 2 years ago.