Program Mission
UAB Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship Program’s Mission is to produce competent and autonomous practicing Physiatrists who are well trained to care for a variety of patients with spinal cord injuries in diverse practice settings. Our program provides high quality education and training for fellows that enable them to pursue successful careers in private practice, academia, research, leadership and patient advocacy. 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. We strive to recruit, retain and engage a diverse workforce that represents the population we serve and to foster a supportive environment that values diverse perspectives. Our next generation of Spinal Cord Injury physicians will possess the motivation and desire to continue a lifetime of learning, continual self-reflection and professional growth, including wellness.
Program Aims
The Spinal Cord Medicine Fellowship is designed to develop and educate physicians having completed specialty training and exhibiting the competency for independent practice who:
• Have the skills and knowledge to treat patients with spinal cord injuries/disorders in the inpatient, outpatient, and consults setting using evidence based, patient centered care models.
• Participate in research initiatives and quality improvement projects aimed at advancing the field of spinal cord injury medicine.
• Possess the leadership skills to advocate and promote the rights and well-being of individuals with spinal cord injuries/disorders, specifically in addressing health disparities and accessibility challenges.
• Work effectively within multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams, allowing for integration of various health professional’s experience and expertise to allow for collaborative comprehensive care for individuals with spinal cord injuries or disorders.
Program Overview
The Spinal Cord Injury Medicine fellowship program consists of twelve months of post-graduate training after satisfactory completion of a residency program an applicable specialty (physical medicine and rehabilitation, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, plastic surgery, and urology). The fellowship program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. SCI fellows must obtain satisfactory evaluations in their primary and elective rotations leading to board certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM). All fellow graduates will be well prepared to enter any practice of their choice.
The fellowship program’s goal is to provide quality care to individuals with SCI to maximize their quality of life, health, and independence. 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.
Our comprehensive didactic program includes departmental Grand Rounds, Journal Club and weekly didactics covering the core curriculum of Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. Fellow participation in research is strongly encouraged. As part of the daily assessments with rounds, the fellow will collaborate with the rehabilitation team: MD/DO (attending, fellow, and resident), PT/OT/SLP (as indicated), Nursing, Pharmacy, Case Management, and/or Psychology in assessment of the patient's physical, emotional, and social needs. They will work to prescribe therapies upon discharge, recommend assistive devices, and help coordinate needed follow up appointments after discharge. They will work with case management to provide support resources as available depending on the patient’s insurance and geographic location. They will involve the patient’s family and friends (as desired by the patient) in the process as well to help transition home.
As part of the daily assessments with inpatient rounds the fellow will collaborate with the rehabilitation team in assessment of the patient’s team needs. They will rotate with the various subspecialties in order to learn their prospective and aims in treatment/ care. In addition, they will work with the outpatient team in a similar capacity. When the fellow is on inpatient and consult rotations, they will be working on a team that consists of an attending physician as well as a resident. The fellow will be able to serve as an additional mentor and resource for residents in the UAB PM&R Residency Program as they work together to manage the service under the supervision of the attending physician. Social events outside of working hours will be inclusive of all trainees in the program to foster a stronger familial environment. When the fellow is rotating on other services (ex: radiology or urology) they will additionally have a chance to engage with residents and fellows in those specialties as well. Consult rotations will provide additional valuable opportunities for the fellow to engage with residents in a collaborative setting to allow for comprehensive understanding of complex cases.
Program Outline
Site 1: UAB Hospital Rehabilitation Pavilion
Site 2: Children’s of Alabama
Selection Process
Selection of fellows is through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are reviewed through the Electronic Residency Application Service. It is based on written applications, academic records, scholarly activities and interviews. Further information regarding program structure is available upon request. Application window is generally open April – August, Ranking is open September – October and the Match typically takes place at the end of October. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship begins August 1st every year.
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