Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Fellowship

The Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Fellowship program provides the most up-to-date training in the area of regional anesthesia and acute pain. Fellows will gain experience with the management of acute pain in both the postoperative setting and medical setting. In addition, fellows will be expected to master all upper extremity, truncal and lower extremity single-shot and continuous peripheral nerve blocks utilizing ultrasound-guidance as well as peripheral nerve stimulation. Furthermore, during different rotations, fellows will lead rounds for the acute and chronic pain teams.

Director's Message

The Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Fellowship at the University of Minnesota is designed to graduate highly skilled fellows proficient in all aspects of regional anesthesia, acute pain, and ambulatory anesthesia. During your fellowship year, you will be an integral part of the acute pain service managing catheter patients, acute on chronic pain, and acute pain crises. You will perform a large variety and volume of regional single shot blocks and catheters. To supplement your skills, you will participate in acute pain journal clubs, didactics and a number of research projects that can be presented at ASRA. Fellows will also function as staff throughout the year primarily at the state's largest ambulatory surgery center to become efficient in supervising multiple ORs, keep their anesthesia skills fresh, and supplement their salary. Overall the fellowship strives to be both academic and clinical to create a highly marketable anesthesiologist whether your future plans remain in academics or in private practice.

- Aaron Berg, DO, Program Director

Eligibility

Applicants must be able to be licensed in the state of Minnesota following the completion of an anesthesiology residency.

Application Information

Please email your completed Common Application to our fellowship coordinator, Tammy Carpentier, at carpe829@umn.edu for consideration.

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Duration & Rotation Schedule

  • Three months regional anesthesia and acute pain in University Hospital
    • Focus on surgical subspecialties of cardiac, thoracic, oncology, trauma, gynecologic oncology, general surgery and urology
  • Three months regional anesthesia and acute pain in Riverside Hospital
    • Focus on surgical subspecialties of orthopedics, spine, pediatrics, obstetrics and urology
  • Three months regional anesthesia in Ambulatory Surgery Center
    • Focus on managing a busy ambulatory surgery center performing regional anesthesia, and supervising residents and nurse anesthetists
  • Average of one day per week (45 days) as staff in Ambulatory Center and Riverside Hospital
  • One week for expected presentation at academic conference
  • One month elective with the opportunity for clinical research

Teaching & Didactics

The core lecture series will focus on both regional anesthesia techniques as well as acute pain management. There will be scheduled lectures given by one of the Perioperative and Interventional Pain Service Staff, as well as a quarterly Acute Pain Journal Club.

Extracurricular & Global Opportunities

  • Ability to attend and present at the European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy Annual Conference.
  • Multiple opportunities for joining existing clinical research and/or conducting your own research.

Electives

Optional one month elective with the possibility of clinical research.

Additional Fellowship Details

  • Fellows will have the option of moonlighting on our west bank campus on weekends.
  • Ability to be flexible and move from site to site to optimize skills and blocks depending on the OR schedules.
  • 8-10 weeks of home call per year. Only weekends during all weeks.
  • 4 weeks of vacation.
Program Manual

Contact

Aaron Berg, DO
Program Director
bergx831@umn.edu

Roberto Blanco, MD
Associate Program Director
rblancod@umn.edu

Tammy Carpentier
Fellowship Coordinator
carpe829@umn.edu