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Subspecialty Training Requirements in Pain Medicine

2013

VERSION 1.1

These training requirements apply to those who begin training on or after July 1^st, 2013.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Royal College Certification in Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, or enrolment in a program leading to certification in one of these areas (see requirements for these qualifications). All candidates must be certified in their primary specialty in order to be eligible to write the Royal College certification examination in Pain Medicine.

Entry from the following Royal College accredited disciplines is possible in exceptional cases with the approval of the Specialty Committee in Pain Medicine: Medical Oncology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, or Palliative Medicine.

MINIMUM TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Twenty-six (26) 4-week blocks of approved residency training in Pain Medicine. Any of the designated blocks for Pain Medicine, up to a maximum of thirteen (13), may be undertaken concurrently within the entry discipline, subject to approval by both program directors.

This period must include:

1. Thirteen (13) blocks of clinical experience in an outpatient multidisciplinary pain clinic
   
   A maximum of three (3) blocks may be undertaken in a community multidisciplinary pain clinic provided the supervisors have adjunct appointments as teaching faculty.
2. Thirteen (13) blocks to include the following:
   1. Two (2) blocks Psychiatry which must include a minimum of one block of addiction medicine
   2. One (1) block Neurology
   3. One (1) block musculoskeletal system in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or Rheumatology
   4. One (1) block acute pain service
   5. One (1) block cancer pain and symptom management
   6. One (1) block pediatric pain service
   7. Six (6) blocks to be chosen from one or more of the following selectives
      1. Adolescent Medicine
      2. Bioethics
      3. Community-based experience in Pain Medicine
      4. Diagnostic imaging
      5. Education/curriculum development
      6. Gastroenterology
      7. Interventional Pain Medicine/neuromodulation
      8. Obstetrics and Gynecology
      9. Orthopedic/spine surgery
      10. Palliative care service
      11. Public Health and Preventive Medicine
      12. Research methodology/biostatistics
      13. Sleep medicine
      14. Anesthesiology
      15. Other rotations relevant to training in Pain Medicine as approved by the Program Director

NOTES:

These blocks may be completed longitudinally through an equivalent time period, not restricted to the block period.

During the Pain Medicine program the resident must be provided with increasing responsibility in the care of patients and in the manual and interpretive skills that relate to Pain Medicine.

REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION

Royal College certification in Pain Medicine requires all of the following:

1. Certification in one of the acceptable entry disciplines (see eligibility requirements);
2. Successful completion of a 2-year Royal College accredited program in Pain Medicine as described above;
3. Successful completion of the certification examination in Pain Medicine, and
4. Completion of a scholarly project related to Pain Medicine.

The program outlined above is to be regarded as the minimum training requirement. Additional year(s) of training may be required by the program director depending on the results of the in-training evaluation to ensure that clinical competence has been achieved.

This document is to be reviewed by the Specialty Committee in Pain Medicine by December 2018.

• REVISED – Specialty Standards Review Committee – February 2013
• EDITORIAL REVISION – Office of Specialty Education – January 2017

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