Teaching cutting-edge skills to a
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Regional Anesthesiology & Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Management
Application Process
The HSS RA/APM Fellowship recruits 11 fellows each year. We will begin accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year, via SF Match, beginning January 2025.
To provide more consistency and predictability to the RA/APM fellowship application process, nearly 60 RA/APM fellowship programs have decided to participate in a common application and match process provided by SF Match for recruitment. The Hospital for Special Surgery Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship program is proud to participate in the match process for the second time for the upcoming interview season for the 2025-2026 academic year.
This matching process, provided by SF match, analogous to the current match system for trainees in Cardiac, Critical Care, and Obstetric Anesthesiology, will allow fellowship applicants an opportunity to visit and evaluate various training programs systematically over a larger window of time. This resulting match system will improve the equity of the process, create a more flexible and comprehensive interview process, and benefit both applicants and individual programs.
Applicants will have to register with and apply to our program through the SF Match website below. SF Match will be the central site involved in processing applications, accepting rank lists, processing of the match itself, as well as providing post-match vacancy matching.
Register and apply here: Regional Anesthesiology & Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship Application and Match
Any additional questions or concerns regarding the application process can be directed to the attention of:
Mary J. Hargett, Director of Education and Clinical Initiatives, 212.606.1793, hargettm@hss.edu
Fellowship Summary
Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, Anesthesiologist-in-Chief
Mandip S. Kalsi, MD, Fellowship Director
Duration: One-year clinical fellowship; starts after ABA Board Exams, August 2025
Stipend: *$99,585.34 per annum/benefits + $3000.00 academic fund + opportunities for additional compensation for academic fund/expenses by working select Saturday ORs. *Please note that this figure is from the 2024-2025 academic year and will be updated.
Positions: 11 positions for graduates of accredited Anesthesiology Residency Programs
Locations: Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Main Campus, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the HSS Manhattan Ambulatory Surgery Center (MASC) East Side, and the HSS Sports Medicine Institute
Contact: Mary J. Hargett, Director of Education and Clinical Initiatives, 212.606.1793, hargettm@hss.edu
The Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine (RA/APM) Fellowship at HSS is one of the leading training programs for aspiring regional anesthesiologists in the country. The one-year program balances in-depth regional anesthesia and acute pain management training with diverse academic opportunities to deepen their clinical experience.
Since its inception in 1987, the RA/APM Fellowship has trained over 160 regional anesthesiology and pain management physicians. Our alumni practice in several countries, across five continents, and all over the United States.
Clinical Duties
Over 51,000 anesthetic procedures are performed in our operating rooms annually, exposing RA/APM Fellows to a wide spectrum of anesthesia techniques and acute pain interventions for orthopedics. The cornerstone of the fellowship is the unparalleled breadth of opportunities to learn and practice cutting-edge regional skills and pain management strategies for orthopedic patients.
Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Management for Oncology-Based Surgery and Pain Management
RA/APM fellows also complete a consecutive four-week rotation at MSKCC where they are exposed to regional anesthesia techniques and acute pain management strategies not routinely performed at HSS.
The rotation will focus on regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine approaches to the body’s trunk including, but not limited to:
- Paravertebral blocks
- Transverse abdominal plane (TAP) blocks
- Thoracic epidurals (in both adult and pediatric patients)
- Pectoral nerve block
- Quadratus Lumborum block
- Serratus plane block
Fellows will utilize both ultrasound and nerve stimulator techniques. The MSKCC rotation is taught by chronic pain specialists, providing fellows an opportunity to apply clinical regional anesthesia skills to patients with chronic pain in a perioperative setting. Fellows are introduced to oncology-based surgery and learn how to select the best types of blocks for cancer resections.
After completing the first two weeks of the rotation, fellows will meet with the MSKCC site director, or designee, to discuss case assignments and preferences, and formulate a clinical plan for the remaining two weeks.
HSS Manhattan Ambulatory Surgery Center
Our fellows also rotate to the HSS Manhattan Ambulatory Surgery Center.
Academic Programs
The RA/APM Fellowship offers a robust schedule of academic programs ranging from our CME-accredited Grands Rounds program to Journal Clubs and M&M Conferences. Fellows also attend specialized lectures on current topics in anesthesiology, critical care, and pain management.
Special Programs
Scholarly Activity
All fellows are asked to participate in academic activities which may include clinical research, review articles, book chapters, or other academic or administrative projects.
Cadaver Lab
In the monthly cadaver lab program, fellows have the opportunity to learn anesthetic blocks and develop innovative approaches to anesthetic care using fresh, non-embalmed cadavers that replicate living tissue.
Introduction to Ultrasound
Fellows receive training in ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block techniques through lectures and workshops.
Oral Board Preparation
We provide an intensive oral board review course in the months preceding the start of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s Oral Board Examination time frame.
Simulation Education
In the Cornell Skills Acquisitions and Innovations Laboratory (SAIL), fellows engage in intensive regional anesthesiology-based simulations designed to help develop crisis resource management and metacognitive skills.
Teaching Opportunities
Fellows have the opportunity to interact with and lead educational conferences with rotating residents, supervise CA1 residents in the operating room, and teach medical students.
Clinical Electives
From mission work to international study, fellows are encouraged to participate in optional clinical elective programs to deepen their regional anesthesia experience.
Digital Media
Fellows may be asked to participate in departmental digital media projects, including writing patient and professional medical features for the website.
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