Addiction Medicine Fellowship

The Addiction Medicine Fellowship is a one-year training program that focuses on the care for persons with unhealthy substance use, substance use and other addictive disorders. The goal of the fellowship is to become an expert in the prevention, clinical evaluation, treatment and ongoing care of persons with addiction. The training includes experiences in consult/liaison, adolescents with substance use, pharmacotherapies, withdrawal management, and outpatient therapies and is informed by a wide range of evidence-based therapies.

Graduates will be trained to be a leader in hospitals, addiction treatment programs, academic programs, and primary care with specific addiction expertise. The fellowship is open to physicians of all specialties and is accredited by ACGME and the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

"During my addiction medicine fellowship, I found an array of diverse experiences that I believe have prepared me well for practicing addiction medicine. In addition to obtaining a firm foundation in both addiction and frequently co-occurring psychiatric conditions, I was exposed to many different styles and models of practice, ranging from medical and psychiatric hospital wards to a residential treatment program to a rapid-access addiction clinic. In addition, I was able to work with a number of different patient populations. There is significant opportunity for exploring more deeply particular topics that a fellow might be more interested in. Overall, I had a blast!" - Dr. Russell Spingarn (AY20-21)

"This year, I was the "non-traditional fellow" in the Addiction Medicine Fellowship having come from a non-primary care speciality. The fellowship allowed me to reignite my passion for medicine. Being able to walk beside my patients during some of the most difficult times in their lives was such a privilege and honor. I learned so much in these past 12 months not only about the science of addiction, but also about the devastating impact of this disease on the patients, their families, and their entire communities. Each individual comes to this disease in their own way and each of their journeys is so unique. Dr. Specker is an impactful teacher, mentor, and role model. She stood by all of us this year to make sure we were able to reach our full potential. I cannot thank Dr. Specker and all of the addiction staff enough for all of their support. I'm so glad I was able to have this experience this year." - Dr. Lenore Everson (AY20-21)

"This program really helped me grow as an addiction medicine specialist. The program is really unique in that it offers a large variety of settings in which addiction medicine is practiced which was really helpful! All of the faculty are top notch as well. I could not ask for a more supportive group during my education process. Overall a tremendous experience and if I were to go back I would absolutely choose again." - Dr. Jeremiah Fairbanks (AY20-21)

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Requirements

Application requirements for both Addiction Fellowships:

Formal letter expressing personal interest in the Addiction Fellowships.
Current Curriculum Vitae
Three letters of reference
Completion of the Application

All application materials and inquiries for the Addiction Medicine Fellowship can be submitted in ERAS.

For program or application questions please contact:

Sheila Specker

Director of Addiction Medicine
F256/2A West
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Minneapolis, MN 55454-1495

612-273-9806
speck001@umn.edu

Application Deadline

We are currently accepting applications for one remaining opening for the 2025-2026 academic year. Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year will be reviewed beginning in the summer of 2024.

Training Sites

Addiction Medicine Program Sites

University of Minnesota Medical Center:

The University of Minnesota Medical Center (UM) is the host institution for the addiction medicine fellowship, located in the Department of Psychiatry. The UM is an 800 bed academic health center, focusing on research, clinical services, education, and training.. It is the largest behavioral health system in Minnesota, with 11 inpatient adolescent and adult psychiatric units and addiction treatment at all levels of care. The fellow rotates on: 1) an inpatient detox unit), 2) intensive outpatient program where they participate in the group therapy 3) Rapid access addiction clinic , 4) Adolescent outpatient program, and 5) their 12 month continuity clinic.. Weekly didactics and monthly grand rounds occur at this setting. The site experiences include pharmacotherapies, psychotherapies, case management, and interdisciplinary care. Experiences in evaluation and management of addiction in a rural setting, pain management and addiction in two outpatient programs are also core components. Fellows interact with a team of providers including psychotherapists, social workers, pharmacists, nursing staff, and others.

Hennepin Health Care:

Hennepin Health Care System (formerly Hennepin County Medical Center) is a 484 bed academic medical center, with large outpatient clinics and specialty centers including addiction medicine. It is a safety net hospital providing care for low-income, the uninsured and vulnerable populations. The Addiction Medicine Division is within the Department of Medicine and provides both inpatient and outpatient services including special populations served include Hmong who receive cross-cultural services with their addiction treatment and pregnant and post-partum patientsThere is a 600 patient opioid treatment program which provides opioid agonist therapies including methadone, buprenorphine maintenance, and other pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders. Fellows obtain experience in an office based treatment clinic for substance use disorders, a state of the art Project ECHO which links their opioid addiction medicine experts and physicians with primary care. An inpatient addiction consultation service is a focus of this site for fellow training, led by an addiction medicine and toxicology physician.

VA Medical Center:

The Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is a 600 bed teaching hospital providing a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology, as well as education and research. The fellow is trained in various settings: general hospital consultation, outpatient addiction clinics which includes pharmacotherapies for alcohol and opioids and for withdrawal and detoxification, and intensive outpatient program. It includes a Opioid Treatment Program providing methadone maintenance and Office-based Buprenorphine and Disulfiram clinics. Fellows join multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams on the psychiatry service as well as core addiction programs. A wide variety of ages and backgrounds of both male and female veterans with marked comorbidity for combat PTSD, depression, TBI and addictions provide treatment challenges.

Meridian Behavioral Health Care:

This is a 61 bed residential treatment program in Owatonna, MN, a rural community in southern MN, one hour from Minneapolis specializing in SUD and other co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The PD is the Medical Director and addiction psychiatrist who supervises the fellows. The fellow and PD conduct evaluations on new patients seeing 4-5 new patients/day and conduct follow up visits during their 1 day/week experience. Each fellow will rotate for 4 months at this site. A team meeting occurs during the day with the PD, fellow, nursing, program director, mental health professionals, drug/alcohol counselors, recovery specialists, and care coordinators.

2024-2025 Policy Manual

Contacts

Sheila Specker, MD
Director of Addiction Medicine Fellowship
612-273-9806
Fax: 612-273-9774
speck001@umn.edu

Melissa Tholen
Addiction Medicine Fellowship Coordinator
addictionmed@umn.edu

Program Faculty and Fellows

Program faculty include a diverse group of psychiatrists and psychologists with varying areas of expertise and backgrounds. Over the two year program, fellows will have the opportunity to work with many of our division faculty, as well as providers from other systems in the twin cities metro area. Below, is a list of the program faculty who nearly all fellows encounter during their time here, listed by their primary role. There are additional departmental and division faculty involved in our program via presentation of didactics, elective experiences, service coverage, research opportunities and consultation.