Medical College of Wisconsin Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Fellowship Training Programs

This ACGME-accredited one-year program in collaboration with Anesthesia trains physiatrists in the management of complex pain syndromes.

Gwynne Kirchen, MD
Program Director

Sarah Pritchard
Program Coordinator
spritchard@mcw.edu

Learn about the Pain Management Fellowship Program

As of March 2024, MCW does not have the Non-Standard Training (NST) recognition; therefore, candidates for non-ACGME fellowships, such as this one, are not eligible for J-1 Visa sponsorship at this time.

This program teaches advanced techniques for spasticity and dystonia management including neurolytic procedures and intrathecal pump management. Program includes additional training in clinical and dynamic EMG and involvement in the motion analysis lab.

PMR Fellowship
spas_fellowship@mcw.edu

Application Requirements (please note there is no centralized application process)

Download the application (DOC)

Please email the following documents to: spas_fellowship@mcw.edu

• Personal Statement
• Current Curriculum Vitae
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Program Details

The Spasticity Fellowship training program has been in place since 2006 in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and takes place over one academic year. The Spasticity Fellowship is open to candidates who have completed an ACGME accredited residency program and are board certified or eligible and qualified for medical licensure in the state of Wisconsin. They must have a strong interest in neurorehabilitation and learning the comprehensive assessment and management of spasticity while furthering their knowledge and skills.

At the completion of the fellowship it is expected that the Fellows will be capable to competently assess patients with neurorehabilitation needs with emphasis on spasticity, and their related functional impairments, to develop and implement a treatment plan, provide independent clinical care to patients, function as a leader of the rehabilitation team, design and implement programmatic care, communicate with the multidisciplinary team and conduct research related to neurorehabilitation and/or spasticity. Obtainment of these outcomes will be achieved through an individual Fellows participation in 5 key areas during the 12-month program. Each area is outlined as follows:

1. Clinical Research Components: The Fellow will be expected to participate in research on a topic related to spasticity or neurorehabilitation. Submission of a research paper is required. The fellow has the opportunity to participate in clinical research projects of their own design or with ongoing projects at MCW, FMLH, CHW, and Marquette University. Additionally, participation in the joint Marquette University/Medical College of Wisconsin Neuroscience research exchange will be required for core education in clinical research techniques.
2. Patient Care and Supervisory Responsibilities: The Fellows will be involved in adult and pediatric outpatient spasticity clinics within the department of PM&R. Rotations in Neurosurgery, Orthopedic surgery, and Neurology will be arranged based on individual candidates’ interests. The Fellows will be involved in assessing and consulting on inpatients with spasticity and neurorehabilitative needs. Additionally, the Fellows will attend outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions as it relates to spasticity management including exercise, serial casting, and electrical stimulation. The Fellows will observe various surgical procedures including tendon transfers/lengthening, placement of intrathecal pumps, and dorsal rhizotomies as available. The Fellows will share responsibility for the ongoing education of residents within the department of PM&R, assisting with spasticity training and providing educational lectures during the resident didactic series.
3. Procedural Requirements: The Fellows will be trained to manage spasticity through various interventions including oral pharmacotherapy, motor point blocks, phenol, neurotoxin injections, intrathecal Baclofen pumps, bracing, splinting and therapeutic stretch. Additionally, the Fellows will work in collaboration with physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapy teams, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and neurology to provide comprehensive management of spasticity and neuromuscular disorders. The Fellows will additionally be trained in EMG studies as well as bedside ultrasound techniques.
4. Didactic Components: The Fellows will participate in the weekly neurorehabilitation lecture series, monthly grand rounds, monthly spasticity team meeting, monthly PM&R journal club and quarterly spasticity team journal club. Additionally, attendance at local Spasticity Management Training Workshops, the Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology course, and the Research statistics course is expected dependent on the offerings of these courses during their fellowship year.
5. Research and Professionalism Components: The Fellows will be expected to participate in research on a topic related to spasticity or neurorehabilitation. Attending at least one national conference and submission of a research paper is required pending availability of these objectives. The Fellows will have the opportunity to attend regional/national training courses/workshops related to spasticity management.

Learn about the Comprehensive Neurorehabilitation and Spasticity Management Fellowship Program (PDF)

The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin offers a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM).

Chris White, MD
Program Director
cwhite@mcw.edu 

Application Requirements (please note there is no centralized application process)

Please email the following documents to fellowship_sci@mcw.edu:

• Completed application (PDF)
• Personal Statement
• Current Curriculum Vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• USMLE or COMPLEX Transcript
• ECFMG Certificate (International Applicants must be ECFMG certified prior to any interview)

Interested applicants must register for the NRMP Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship Match.

Interviews will be held VIRTUALLY and at ASCIP (depending on timing).

Program Details

The SCIM Fellowship is a program with specialized training in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injury. The program is open to physicians (US citizen or work eligible) who have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited residency in PM&R, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family practice, internal medicine, neurological surgery, neurology, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, surgery, or urology. Successful completion of the fellowship program satisfies the eligibility requirement to take the examination in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine to obtain subspecialty certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine.

The SCIM Fellowship program at MCW is designed to provide an educational experience to ensure that its graduate possess the advanced knowledge and competencies necessary to practice this subspecialty.

The Fellow will be given the opportunity to gain knowledge of:

• The impact of spinal cord dysfunction (SCD) on the various organ systems,
• The natural history, pharmacologic management and evolution of organ system functioning after SCD and the interaction among the various organ systems,
• The impact of aging and long-standing injury on organ system decline,
• The prevention and treatment of secondary complications of SCD, and
• The maximal functions possible, based on the characteristics and level of SCD and how to achieve them.

The Fellow will be given the opportunity to become proficient in:

• Coordination in the post initial care setting of the impact and timing of treatment of each organ system’s dysfunction so that an optimum treatment effect can be obtained,
• Planning of the most efficient and effective treatment approaches for acquisition of skills and knowledge by the patient in order to acquire the highest level of functioning, and
• Promotion of patient education about all aspects of SCD in order to promote patient independence and patient recognition of illness.

Important Information

• Spinal Cord Injury Medicine fellowship is one year in length
• Certification in SCI medicine is offered to diplomats of all ABMS member boards, particularly from specialties directly related to the care of persons with spinal cord injury whose diplomats wish to be certified in SCI medicine (e.g. anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, plastic surgery, and urology).

Please note the following:

Visit the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Match website.

Additional accreditation information can be found on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education website.

A 2-year non-accredited Research Fellowship is also available.

2024-2025
Colton Sauer, MD, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship
Haley Willarson, MD Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship
Angela Taylor, DO, Spasticity Fellowship

2023-2024
Lauren Shuda, MD, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship
Michiko Paschall, MD, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship

2022-2023
Sonia Shah, MD, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship
Sarah Wineman, MD, Neurorehabilitation and Spasticity Management Fellowship

2021-2022
Charlotte Ball, MD; Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship
Bindiya Shah, DO; Spasticity Fellowship

2020-2021
Nicholas Wilcox, MD; Spasticity Fellowship

2019-2020
Kyle Ryan, MD; Spasticity Fellowship
Bridget Walker, MD; Spasticity Fellowship

2018-2019
Cassandra List, MD; Spasticity Fellowship
Kimberly Keniry, MD; Spasticity Fellowship

2017-2018
Brian Robertson-Dick, MD; Spasticity Fellowship
Vivian Roy, MD; SCI Fellowship
Nicole Wagaman, DO; SCI Fellowship

2016-2017
William Kim, MD; SCI Fellowship
Kristin Garlanger, DO; SCI Fellowship
Peter Gikas, MD; Pain Fellowship

2015-2016
Michael Uihlein, MD; SCI Fellowship

2014-2015
Karin Goodfriend, MD; Spasticity Management Fellowship
Erin McGonigle, MD; Spasticity Management Fellowship
Christopher White; SCI Fellowship
Amy Ford, DO; Sports Medicine Fellowship

2013-2014
Beth Weinman, DO; Sports Medicine Fellowship
Dana Seslija, MD; SCI Fellowship
Shiqiang Tian, MD; Pain Fellowship