Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Fellowship
Call: 617-952-5243
Email: mgentile6@mgb.org
Overview
The Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Fellowship at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital provides extensive training in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of congenital and childhood-onset conditions affecting function. Fellows gain exposure to the full spectrum of pediatric rehabilitation medicine care, guided by expert pediatric rehabilitation medicine physicians at Spaulding, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), and Mass General Brigham for Children.
The fellowship is accredited by the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and satisfies the clinical educational requirements to sit for the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Board exam to obtain board certification in pediatric rehabilitation medicine.
Fellows are exposed to pediatric rehabilitation medicine in outpatient clinics, an inpatient rehabilitation unit, and inpatient acute care consultation services. Supplemental education is provided through regular didactics and journal clubs. Fellows also have the opportunity to teach peers and trainees by giving a Grand Rounds presentation and teaching at resident didactics.
Fellowship Program Highlights
The Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Fellowship offers a rich and unique experience for fellows:
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Expert, talented faculty: Fellows benefit from the wide-ranging expertise of multiple faculty members across different hospitals.
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Hands-on experience: The program emphasizes practical experience with procedures, ensuring fellows develop proficiency and confidence in their clinical skills.
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Flexibility and elective opportunities: The program includes elective time, allowing fellows to tailor their learning to their interests and career goals, while meeting graduation requirements and preparing for the transition into clinical practice.
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Supportive and approachable environment: Our faculty fosters a welcoming and collaborative environment.
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Valuing fellow feedback: We actively incorporate feedback from fellows to improve the program on a regular basis.
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Additional highlights:
- Fellows choose their own career and research mentors to guide their career and research efforts.
- Comprehensive resources support fellows’ physical and mental well-being.
- Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers offers opportunities to participate in a robust adaptive sports program.
Requirements
To be eligible for this program, applicants must have completed either a four-year, ACGME–accredited physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program or a five-year, ACGME–accredited combined program in pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Curriculum
Clinical Learning
Our program offers unique clinical experiences with the pediatric rehabilitation medicine team, including interdisciplinary clinics and rounds. Fellows work across different settings, such as interdisciplinary and general pediatric rehabilitation clinics, operating rooms, and inpatient consult services for cardiac and general pediatric rehabilitation medicine. They learn from attending physicians and collaborate with specialists in orthopedic surgery, neurology, complex care pediatrics, and many others.
Fellows acquire skills in botulinum toxin injections, phenol injections, and baclofen pump management. They participate in rotations with specialties including palliative care, neurology, orthopedics, and complex care pediatrics.
Our fellows meet the ACGME requirements for clinical and research experiences in pediatric rehabilitation medicine.
Didactics/Journal Club
Our fellowship includes a robust didactic curriculum with expert lecturers on a wide range of pediatric rehabilitation topics.
Fellows participate in a journal club, leading discussions on research articles with guidance from a supervising attending physician. Additional learning opportunities include Spaulding Grand Rounds and the Spaulding Residency Lecture Series. Fellows also teach peers and trainees by giving a Grand Rounds presentation and teaching at resident didactics.
Clinical Facilities
Inpatient
The Spaulding Pediatric Rehabilitation Inpatient Unit is a 12-bed, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)-accredited unit where pediatric rehabilitation medicine physicians and the interdisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation team care for infants through adolescents with a wide range of rehabilitation diagnoses.
Outpatient
The fellowship provides extensive outpatient exposure through various pediatric rehabilitation and multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary clinics at Spaulding, BCH, and Mass General Brigham for Children. Fellows have a continuity clinic at Spaulding, where they care for their own patient panel under the supervision of an attending physician, easing the transition to attending clinical practice after graduation.
Curriculum Overview
Year 1
- Inpatient: 4 months
- Outpatient: 4 months
- Consults: 1 month
- Pediatric Orthopedics: 1 month
- Research: 1 month
- Pediatric Palliative Care: 2 weeks
- Pediatric Stroke (Neurology): 2 weeks
Year 2
- Inpatient: 3 months
- Outpatient: 3 months
- Consults: 1 month
- Research: 1 month
- Elective: 2 months
- Complex Care Pediatrics: 2 weeks
- Pediatric Ventilatory Care Program: 2 weeks
- Pediatric Rheumatology: 2 weeks
- Pediatric Sports Medicine: 2 weeks
Inpatient
Fellows spend time in the Spaulding Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit, caring for pediatric patients in the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting. Early in the fellowship, the focus is on learning inpatient pediatric rehabilitation medicine. As fellows progress, they advance their inpatient skills and work with junior trainees, including residents and medical students, enhancing their teaching skills.
Fellows also have the opportunity to learn about other inpatient settings, including long-term acute care and skilled nursing facility care, through our local connections with other institutions.
Outpatient
During the outpatient month, fellows develop skills in procedures and the interpretation of gait/motion analysis laboratory studies. Interested fellows can attend an outreach clinic in Vermont to learn about outpatient care in rural settings.
Fellows spend time in various specialty clinics, many of which are interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary, including:
- Assisted Arm Robotic Movement Clinic
- Brachial Plexus/Upper Extremity Clinic
- Brain Injury Clinic
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Clinic
- Equipment Clinic
- Hemophilia Clinic
- Leukodystrophy Clinic
- Myelitis Clinic
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-up Clinic
- Neuromuscular Conditions Clinic
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Follow-up Clinic
- Spina Bifida Clinic
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Clinic
- Stroke Clinic
Continuity Clinic
Fellows participate in a continuity clinic at Spaulding twice a month, mentored by an attending physician. Continuity clinic provides fellows the opportunity to follow their own patients throughout their training. In some cases, fellows may care for the same patient on the consult service, on the inpatient unit, and in their continuity clinic.
Procedures
Throughout the fellowship, fellows gain expertise in a variety of procedures, including:
- Baclofen pump dose adjustments
- Baclofen pump refills
- Baclofen pump troubleshooting (side port access, dye studies, etc.)
- Botulinum toxin injections
- Electrodiagnostic studies (nerve conduction studies/electromyography)
- Phenol neurolysis
- Serial casting
Consults
Fellows work with three separate pediatric rehabilitation medicine consult services to learn the skills required for acute care:
- General Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Consult Service (Boston Children’s Hospital),
- Pediatric Cardiac Rehabilitation Consult Service (Boston Children’s Hospital)
- Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Consult Service (Mass General Brigham for Children)
Specialty Rotations
Fellows rotate with specialists in complex care pediatrics, pediatric neurology, pediatric orthopedics, pediatric palliative care, pediatric rheumatology, pediatric sports medicine, and pediatric ventilatory care. Additional specialty exposure can be gained during elective time.
Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory
Fellows receive hands-on experience in gait and motion analysis at Spaulding’s Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory, complemented by interactive lectures and workshops.
Elective Time
The second year of fellowship includes two months of elective time, allowing fellows to explore areas of interest. This time can be used to focus on clinical care, research, and/or medical education.
- Clinical Care: Fellow can cultivate expertise in specific areas of pediatric rehabilitation medicine by spending extra time with physicians or related specialists, such as complex care pediatrics, neonatology, pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, pediatric neurology, pediatric neurosurgery, pediatric orthopedics, pediatric pain medicine, pediatric palliative care, pediatric rheumatology, pediatric urology, and pediatric ventilatory care.
- Research and Medical Education: Opportunities are available through Harvard Medical School, Spaulding, BCH, and MGH.
- Creative Use of Elective Time: The fellowship is open to creative use of elective time to best support a fellow’s learning. Fellows work closely with the program director for approval of elective month proposals.
How to Apply
Our program accepts applications via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). To be considered for our program, applicants must register for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match.
Applications should include the following:
- Three letters of recommendation (including one from your residency program director).
- A personal statement.
- Your curriculum vitae.
- Dean’s letter or medical student performance evaluation (MSPE).
- Medical school transcript.
- United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX) transcripts.
Salary and Benefits
Mass General Brigham offers a wide range of benefits and a competitive salary for clinical fellows.
Apply Now
Fellowship and Faculty Contacts
Brian Wishart, DO
SRH
Pediatric Rehabilitation Division Chair
Outpatient Medical Director
Donna Nimec, MD, MS
SRH
Interim Fellowship Director
Attending Physician
David Fogelman, MD
BCH
Attending Physician
Didem Inanoglu, MD
Franciscans
Attending Physician
Nahyun Kim, MD
BCH
Attending Physician
Susan Quinn, MD
SRH
Attending Physician
Julia Shah, MD
BCH
Attending Physician
Ana Ubeda Tikkanen, MD, PhD
BCH
Attending Physician
Jennifer Wu, MD, PhD
SRH
Attending Physician
Interim Inpatient Medical Director
Meet Our Alumni
- Nadia Alwasiah, MD, American Hospital Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Victoria Dufour, DO, Encompass Health
- Emily Kivlehan, MD, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
- Patricia Orme, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Becky Siegel, MD, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Boston Children’s Hospital
- Jennifer Wu, MD, PhD, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Boston Children’s Hospital