Your browser is unsupported

We recommend using the latest version of IE11, Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Acute & Chronic Pain Management – UI Health

Updated: 10/16/18

PREREQUISITES:
Students must have completed one of the core clerkships – Medicine or Surgery.

PURPOSE:
The program provides exposure to the clinical management of both acute and chronic pain. Students join a well functioning team that rounds on inpatients who have medical problems or who have undergone surgical procedures and who need analgesics. The Pain Clinic is located in the Outpatient Care Center (OCC). The student will interview and examine patients with chronic non-malignant and cancer related pain. Students are shown the basics of C-arm fluoroscopy as the technique relates to the placement of needles for invasive nerve blockade. Additionally, the student may participate in ongoing laboratory research with a rat model to characterize the molecular changes underlying the perception of pain.

COMPETENCIES:
Students must be able to take histories and perform physical examinations and relate their findings to the Pain Medicine Fellows and Attending staff. They will be helped with their presentation until they can comfortably relate the information in a concise manner. During the month the student will learn the nuances of prescribing medication for those patients suffering from both acute and chronic pains. The student will assist in the performance of a variety of nerve blocks that are used to provide pain relief. Each will come away with a deeper understanding of the human anatomy as it relates to sympathetic and somatic nerve blockade. The student must be able to use the Cerner Power Chart to enter notes and orders.

INSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES:
The elective utilizes most forms of teaching. Each morning, the student will attend the morning Anesthesiology conference from 6:30 to 7 am. Following this lecture, the pain team assembles in OCC – 4E conference room for a lecture on a pain topic and reviews the patients on the acute pain list. These patients are then seen by the members of the team during morning rounds. At 9 am the team meets in the OCC to see patients with complaints of chronic pains that require evaluation, prescriptions, or the use of invasive techniques. Students are in constant contact with members of the Pain Medicine Team. Information is transmitted while patients are cared for. Most direct teaching is performed at the OCC with the student interacting directly with the Pain Medicine Fellows , CA2 Anesthesia Residents, PharmD’s, and Anesthesiology Attendings involved with direct patient care.

ASSESSMENT:
Attendings, residents, and Pain Medicine Fellows will provide feedback to the student on a regular basis during the month. Assessment of the student’s performance will be made on specific criteria that are presented to the student at the start of the elective.

Administrative Information Heading link

  • Program Number

    ELEC 832

  • Program Contacts

    Program Director: Dr. Rani Chovatiya
    Email: Rchova1@uic.edu
    Telephone: 312-996-4020
    Coordinator:  Sherri Cunningham
    E-mail: Sherrim@uic.edu
    Telephone: 312-996-4020

  • Program Information

    Location: UI Health

    Duration: 4 Weeks
    Night Call: No
    Weekends: No
    Students Accepted: Min. 1 Max. 2
    Housestaff Used as Faculty: Yes
    Lectures/Conferences/Faculty Contact: 20
    Laboratory/Independent Study: 3
    Outpatient: 12
    Inpatient: 10
    Total Hours /Week: 40

  • Reporting Instructions

    Students please report to the Pain clinic located in the OCC – 4E conference room at 6:45 am.