Musculoskeletal, Sports, and Spine Fellowship at University of Cincinnati Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

The Musculoskeletal, Sports and Spine Fellowship at the University of Cincinnati Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation should be considered for physicians with an interest in becoming well-rounded musculoskeletal experts.

Mission:

◦ “provide post- residency training for physiatrists and musculoskeletal specialists that allows for comprehensive non- surgical care, with an emphasis on collaborative care coordination and return to highest functional ability in a patient- centered, academic setting”.

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

Candidates would be expected to provide comprehensive and collaborative outpatient care to patients with spine and musculoskeletal impairments- -in particular within our new Back, Neck and Spine Center in the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute building . 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 Alternative medicine. Procedures include fluoroscopically- guided epidural injections, medial and lateral branch blockade, zygapophyseal joint injections, spinal cord stimulation trials, and RFA. Spine procedures would be expected to average 75% lumbar, 20% cervical, and 5% thoracic.

Encouraged learning opportunities are available in regenerative procedures, spine , joint, near- tendon, and joint injections under MSK US guidance. Peripheral nerve blocks utilizing ultrasound are also plentiful—including selective motor nerve blocks for spasticity management and pain control.

Procedures will be performed with fluoroscopic and/ or ultrasound guidance as deemed necessary. The successful fellow would likely perform enough diagnostic ultrasound cases to be eligible for ARDMS/ APCA RMSK certification.

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

Other areas of specialization/tracks include sports clinics with Division I and professional sports sideline and training room settings, electrodiagnosis, and diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Successful completion of the fellowship should allow the candidate to sit for ARDMS/APCA RMSK examination. The candidate may also be immediately eligible to pursue ABEM certification- based on interest in and performance of electrodiagnostic studies.

Faculty:

Fellowship Director, Lester S. Duplechan, MD has over 20 years of interventional spine teaching experience and is board certified in PM&R, Pain, Electrodiagnosis; in addition to Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Ultrasound. He is also Division Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Vice Chair of Neurology and Rehabilitation at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Fellowship Co-Director Tim Foster, MD is a former chief resident at UC PM&R, board certified in PM&R and MSK Sonography, with Certified Added Qualification in Sports Medicine. He is Associate Residency Program Director for the PM&R residency program; and is a team physician for Miami University as well as Cincinnati Cyclones professional hockey team.