Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Seattle, WA
Program Director: Christine Oryhan, MD
Program Coordinator: Samantha Thompson, samantha.thompson903@commonspirit.org, 206-341-0533
Clinical Training Strengths
The majority of the pain fellowship year is spent at the downtown Seattle campus of Virginia Mason Medical Center. The fellows spend one month at the University of Washington for the Headache rotation through the Neurology Department, which is a favorite rotation among fellows.
The patient population is a diverse urban patient population that reflects the make-up of the population of downtown Seattle. We also have patients come from Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Our Interventional Pain Clinic sees patients with a broad range of pain conditions, with a focus on neuraxial pain. We also see patients with other chronic pain conditions such as neoplasm-related pain, complex regional pain syndrome, rib pain, abdominal wall pain, pelvic pain, and other neuropathic pain, to name a few.
Procedural Training
Our Interventional Pain Clinic allows fellows excellent fluoroscopic and ultrasound-guided procedural experience. Instead of radiology technicians, our attending physicians run the C-arm, which allows the fellows and rotating residents to get plenty of hands-on experience doing procedures. We also teach our fellows how to run the C-arm themselves during the second part of their fellowship year. We supplement our current neuromodulation experience with simulation and the flexibility to attend local and national meetings and labs to further practice more advanced techniques.
Faculty and Mentorship
Our faculty are made up of a diverse group of dedicated physicians from multiple specialties including Anesthesiology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurology, Palliative Care, and Psychiatry. We work closely with our Neurosurgery colleagues as well, and frequently participate in multidisciplinary conferences to collaborate on optimal patient care. Since we only have two Pain Medicine fellows per year, we have a high faculty-to-fellow ratio that facilitates strong mentorship opportunities. Fellows work directly, one on one, with faculty, and also have the opportunity to teach residents both in the Interventional Pain Clinic and on the Acute Pain Inpatient Service.
Research and Academic Opportunities
We have ample ongoing quality improvement opportunities and have a robust system to support QI work through the Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS). We have several faculty members with active clinical research projects if fellows are interested in larger projects, and our Center for Neurosciences & Spine is very active in clinical research. We encourage fellows to not only attend but participate in national conferences.
Career Support and Fellow Outcomes
Our fellowship graduates tend to go where they want to settle down and practice Pain Medicine. While we have a large network of graduates in the Seattle area, we also have several graduates in California as well as the East Coast. Most of our alumni are in private practice, with a few in academic medicine. We have been fortunate to be able to retain a number of alumni within the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health System.
We help connect fellows to alumni in the area that they are interested in practicing, and frequently check in on the job search to help with guidance on what type of practice would be ideal for them. We require our fellows to take the Pain Medicine in-training exam and help review key words before and after the ITE in order to help with board preparation.
Program Culture
Virginia Mason has a strong reputation for a collegial and supportive culture among faculty and staff. As a Pain Medicine Fellow at Virginia Mason Medical Center, the schedule is mostly outpatient and predictable with very little if any call outside of a typical workday. Pain Medicine fellows (up to 2/year) and Regional Anesthesiology fellows (up to 3/year) split weekend coverage of the Acute Pain Service, which is the inpatient pain service. Other than about 10 weekends per year, there are no additional weekends worked. Seattle naturally offers numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, cultural events, and a generally health-conscious environment, which can significantly contribute to overall well-being outside of work. With easy access to the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, and Olympic National Park, you can easily hike or ski, depending on the season. There are also many ferries available for day trips to Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, San Juan Islands. or even Victoria, Canada. Other notable highlights include Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum (SAM), Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Pacific Science Center, and the Space Needle.
Signature Features
We are a small program that allows a significant amount of flexibility and customization of the fellowship year. With a high ratio of faculty to fellows, there are ample opportunities for mentorship. Virginia Mason Medical Center has a long history of excellence in quality improvement, utilizing the VMPS. We have a multidisciplinary spine team made up of Neurosurgeons, Physiatrists, Interventional Pain Attendings, and Physical Therapists. We also work closely with pain psychologists, palliative care, and integrative medicine.
