The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth Medical Center, Louis Stokes VAMC, and Cleveland Clinic Foundation campuses) offers a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM). The SCIM Fellowship is a 12-month 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 sertification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine.

The SCIM Fellowship will include clinical experiences in the initial acute care management, acute rehabilitation, and outpatient management of persons with spinal cord dysfunction. During the various clinical rotations, the fellow will have the opportunity to work with seven SCIM-certified attending physicians in pulmonary, critical care, pediatrics, plastic surgery, urology, and neurology. Clinical experiences will be integrated with other clinical disciplines such as biomedical and mechanical engineering, physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, vocational therapy, respiratory therapy, and psychology.

Several unique features of this fellowship include:

• Experience with implantable electrical stimulation technology at the on-site Cleveland FES Center, which includes implantable devices for upper and lower extremity function, bowel and bladder control, and diaphragmatic pacing
• Innovative applications of assistive technology through integration with the Departments of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering at Case and University of Toledo
• Clinical care and research using new skin care techniques (including pulsatile lavage, electric stimulation, and pressure mapping) at all collaborating institutions
• Evaluation and follow-up of state-of-the-art procedures using tendon transfers and neuroprostheses that offer functional independence for individuals with high-level tetraplegia
• Involvement with wheelchair sports and outdoor adaptive recreation throughout the state of Ohio
• Exposure to the latest advances in neuro-regeneration technology at Case.
• Teaching activities will include medical students from Case and residents at each clinical site. The fellow will also complete a clinical research project to be submitted for national presentation or publication.

Additional information can be found at www.acgme.org.