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Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation October 21, 2025

SCI Medicine Fellowship Directors Drs. Sharma and RenfroThe University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is excited to announce the creation of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medicine Fellowship, which will begin accepting applications in April 2026.  Cassandra Buchanan Renfro, D.O. will serve as the program director and Radhika Sharma, M.D. will serve as assistant program director.

The department is excited to re-establish the SCIM fellowship after more than 10 years. The program consists of 12 months of post-graduate training after completion of an applicable specialty residency program. The goal is to produce competent and autonomous practicing physicians who provide quality care to individuals with SCI to maximize their quality of life, health, and independence.

The SCI Medicine Fellowship is open to physicians who have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited residency in PM&R, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurological surgery, neurology, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, surgery, or urology. Successful completion of the one-year fellowship program satisfies the eligibility requirement to take the ABPMR SCI Medicine Certification Examination.

Our program provides high quality education and training for fellows that enables them to pursue successful careers in private practice, academia, research, leadership, and patient advocacy. As the fellow will be trained in the diagnosis and treatment of various types of traumatic and non-traumatic SCI, they will work in close collaboration with many departments at UAB, including orthopedics, neurosurgery, neurology, vascular surgery, pulmonary, internal medicine, and many more.

We strive to be a national destination program for academic excellence in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. Our fellows train to optimize health and function of individuals with spinal cord injuries through a patient-centered continuum of care, with the goal of improving quality of life. Our next generation of SCI physicians will possess the motivation and desire to continue a lifetime of learning, continual self-reflection, and professional growth, including wellness.

“We are incredibly excited about the launch of our new Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship, a vital step forward in strengthening SCI care across Alabama and the Southeast. This program represents our deep commitment to advancing medical education while also addressing the growing need for highly trained SCI specialists. It is more than a fellowship; it is a promise to our community to ensure that the next generation of physicians is equipped to meet the complex needs of individuals living with spinal cord injury,” says Dr. Sharma.

The fellowship program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the Department of PM&R. SCI fellows must obtain satisfactory evaluations in their primary and elective rotations leading to board certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM).


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