This pain medicine fellowship is a  period of specialised postgraduate training for clinicians which will enable them to properly asses & manage patients with different types chronic pain and to understand the sciences of practice of pain management.  

I. Residential program:

Here candidate stays for one year with a leave of 20 days in a year.

One year pain medicine fellowship: One doctor will be taken through Indian Academy of Pain Medicine.  There will be entrance exam and selection will be by IAPM by merit cum choice basis. 

Another doctor will be taken through Aesculap Academy. There will be online exam and candidates must appear for interview.

II. 3 contact program:

Here candidate stays for 6 weeks in 2/3 occasions and complete study at home, sees patients at his own clinic/hospital. They practice what is learnt at contact time, maintain logbook and appear for final exam.

Indian candidates for 3 contact program need to attend 3 times. International candidates can spend 6 weeks in 2 or 3 visits. Reading materials will be provided and need to be completed at home. 

Accommodation is available at hostel with applicable charges.

In pain management fellowship curriculum, clinical diagnosis has been stressed. 

Topics to be completed in first 6 months:

I. Clinical Methods in Pain Medicine

History and clinical examination

Assessment of pain

Examination of patients of low back pain

Examination of patients of knee pain

Examination of patients of shoulder pain

Examination of patients of headache & neck pain

Examination of patients of generalised pain

Examination of patients of cancer pain

II.Non pharmacological management of pain

Physical therapies and rehabilitation 

Vocational assessment and management

III.Psychological evaluation and therapy

Use of diagnostic tests

Collection & evaluation of data from interview and standard forms

Comprehensive psychological assessment

Treatment options

Individual, group and family psychotherapy

Cognitive-behavioural therapies

Biofeedback and relaxation techniques

Hypnotherapy

IV Pharmacotherapy

Local anaesthetics

Opioids

Analgesics

Non-narcotic

Adjuvants

Antidepressants

Sedative-hypnotics

Benzodiazepines

Other drugs and various routes of administration

V. Interventional procedures

Interventions of lumbosacral region

Peripheral joint and soft tissue injections

VI. Regional pain syndrome

Low back pain

Extremity pain syndromes

Topics to be covered in 2nd 6 months

I. Specific types of painful conditions

Post-operative pain

Post trauma pain

Cancer Pain, including issues of death and dying, palliative care and hospice

Pain associated with nervous system injuries – CRPS

Pain associated with chronic disease

Pain of unknown aetiology

Pain in children

Pain in elderly

Regional pain syndromes

Headache

Facial pain syndrome

Neck and upper back pain

Thoracic and abdominal pain

Pelvic and perineal pain

Interventional Pain Management

Interventions & nerve blocks in head and neck

Interventions & nerve blocks in cervical and thoracic region

Advanced pain therapies – Intradiscal procedures, epiduroscopy, spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal implants etc.

General instructions for both programs:

Log book is mandatory, to be submitted before final exam.

One research article manuscript must be submitted before exam.

There should be a record of OP/IP consultation participation

In this pain medicine fellowship, there should be details of participation in academic programme like seminars, symposia, clinical meetings.

There should be record of bed side demonstrations

Teaching others and taking classes should be documented

Any special duty or event managed should be documented

In this pain management course, there should be details of procedure observed, assisted and performed. The candidate must have performed at least 50 interventions during his academic year.

The log book is to be filled regularly by the candidate

The entries need to be endorsed by the concerned consultant

On the completion of the course by the candidate, this log book shall be deposited in the department for future reference

3 contact program starts with a regular 2 weeks course where basics are covered. 

At the middle of the year (dates will be notified) participant should join 5 days' advanced course and stay another 1-2 week/s. They should finalize research topic and deliver basic lectures at other courses too. 

At the end participant should come for 2 weeks, furnish logbook, submit dissertation, deliver lectures on advanced topic as instructor/faculty and appear for final examination.

150,000 INR plus GST for Indian participants.

7800 USD plus GST for International participants. 

Course fee do not include accommodation & food.

Final exam will be conducted at the end of one year. Aesculap Academy certificate will be provided on successful completion.

This one year fellowship is affiliated with Aesculap Academy.