Program Overview

Program Overview

The Musculoskeletal Medicine and Spine Fellowship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is designed for physicians interested in becoming well-rounded musculoskeletal experts.

Mission

The mission of the fellowship is to provide post-residency training for physiatrists and musculoskeletal specialists, allowing for comprehensive non-surgical care with an emphasis on collaborative care coordination and return to highest functional ability in a patient-centered, academic setting.

Faculty

• Timothy Foster, MD
• Angela Stillwagon, DO
• Lester S. Duplechan, MD, Fellowship Director

Program Details

The fellowship is under the academic and clinical division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. This provides a great opportunity for candidates to be mentored in a 1:1 clinical setting, develop clinical and procedural skills, and gain teaching, business, and academic experience within a research institution.

Clinical Experience

Candidates are expected to provide comprehensive and collaborative outpatient care to patients with spine and musculoskeletal impairments, particularly within the new Back, Neck, and Spine Center in the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. The UCGNI Back, Neck, and Spine Center is a patient-centered collaboration with PM&R, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy, Interventional Radiology, Anesthesia Pain, and Integrative Medicine.

Procedures

Procedures include:

• Fluoroscopically-guided epidural injections
• Medial and lateral branch blockade
• Zygapophyseal joint injections
• Spinal cord stimulation trials
• RFA Spine procedures are expected to average 75% lumbar, 20% cervical, and 5% thoracic.

Learning Opportunities

Encouraging learning opportunities are available in:

• Regenerative procedures
• Spine, joint, near-tendon, and joint injections under fluoroscopic and musculoskeletal sonographic guidance
• Peripheral nerve blocks utilizing ultrasound, including selective motor nerve blocks for spasticity management and pain control

Certification

The successful fellow would likely perform enough diagnostic ultrasound cases to be eligible for ARDMS/APCA RMSK certification. Successful completion of the fellowship should also allow the candidate to sit for the ARDMS/APCA RMSK examination and potentially pursue ABEM certification based on interest in and performance of electrodiagnostic studies.

Specialization Tracks

Other areas of specialization/tracks include:

• Sports clinics with Division I and professional sports sideline and training room settings
• Electrodiagnosis
• Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound

Academic Opportunities

Fellows will also be able to attend and present a didactic presentation at one of the twice-a-year diagnostic MSK Ultrasound CME conferences, as well as take advantage of the academic lecture schedule of the PM&R program.