Headache Medicine Fellowship Program

Welcome

Welcome to the Headache Medicine Fellowship Program at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Our program is dedicated to training exceptional physicians in the care of patients with headache and facial pain. We present a diverse, experienced faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and a comprehensive curriculum. Our program provides training over the full spectrum of care from acute presentation to long-term management of these disease processes.

Program Director

About the Program

Our fellowship program is designed to provide fellows with a comprehensive understanding of headache and facial pain disorders through rigorous clinical training and exposure to various headache and facial pain conditions. Fellows can collaborate closely with accomplished mentors in both the hospital and clinic settings to develop their clinical skills and knowledge.

We are part of the Clinical Neuroscience Institute (CNSI) in Miami Valley Hospital and part of the Premier Health healthcare system. CNSI has an established neurology residency, stroke and neurointerventional fellowships, a multiple sclerosis and immunology fellowship, and a critical care fellowship. Miami Valley Hospital is a busy stroke, neurointerventional, and neurosurgery hospital offering a wide range of specialists to complement the training, including four neurointensivists in a state-of-the-art 36-bed Neuro ICU, exceptional neurosurgical support, the busiest level one trauma center in Ohio, a 40-bed medical ICU, and a 36-bed VV ECMO capable cardiac ICU. We have a fully established Epilepsy monitoring unit and 24-hour Epileptology coverage.

Premier Health is the largest comprehensive health care system in Southwest Ohio, with three acute-care hospitals, an extensive network of physicians, numerous affiliate organizations, and more than one hundred locations across seven counties. The Premier Physician Network (PPN), which is part of Premier Health, offers the largest selection of primary care and medical specialists in the Dayton region. PPN has 1052 physicians and advanced practice providers in more than 170 locations – from as far north as Versailles to as far south as northern Cincinnati. Being a part of this large health care system provides a large catchment area and referral base for the Headache Medicine Fellowship program.

The Headache Medicine fellow will gain experience and training in evaluating and treating patients in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. We also have a neurology infusion center where the fellow will gain experience in treating headache patients with outpatient IV infusion therapies.

Additionally, the fellow will have hands on training in procedural management of headache and facial pain including Ona botulinum toxin A injections, peripheral nerve blocks, and trigger point injections.

The fellow will gain expertise in diagnosing and treating both primary and secondary headache and facial pain disorders.

Our program encompasses one-on-one development of the fellow in a positive and supportive environment. The fellow will be closely mentored by experts in the field, both in the hospital and in the clinic setting.

Neurology residents and medical students may also rotate in the Headache Clinic. The fellow will have the opportunity to engage in the teaching and mentoring of these trainees through formal didactics and informal teaching on rounds.

Curriculum

Fellows will spend 12 months in training. Up to six one-week electives will be granted. The electives may include ophthalmology, otolaryngology, physical and vestibular therapy, neurosurgery, pain management, and neuroradiology (either in-person or virtual neuroradiology course). Other electives may be requested by the fellow and will be approved if pertinent to the training program. All electives will be selected and scheduled by the end of the first month of the fellowship. CME opportunities will be available and may be virtual or in person, though funding for travel is not guaranteed. Up to four weeks of vacation are allowed and are to be scheduled by the end of the first month of training.

The fellow will develop and present six formal lectures through the academic year. One of these will be a grand rounds presentation. The others will be for presentations to residents and medical students.

They may include one RITE review lecture, disease specific didactic presentations, and case presentations.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Training: Our program covers a spectrum of diseases and conditions, including primary and secondary headaches and facial pain disorders.
• Unique Responsibilities: Fellows will mentor and teach neurology residents and students in both formal and informal settings. Unique procedural skills. Fellows will learn and perform procedures including OnabotulinumtoxinA injections, peripheral nerve blocks, and trigger point injections.
• Research: Time and support will be available for research. The fellow will be required to complete a research project by the end of the fellowship with the goal of presenting the findings locally or at a regional headache meeting. The fellow will have the opportunity to be involved in clinical research trials. The fellow may participate by evaluating potential research candidates to enroll in trials. Opportunities to participate in investigator-initiated trials and grant proposals will be available.
• Contribution to growing literature in the field: Time and support will be available for the fellow to write and submit articles and case studies to journals in the field of headache and facial pain.

Faculty

Physicians: Dr. Richard Kim, Dr. Saad Kanaan, Dr. Mark Youssef

Application Process

To apply for our Headache Medicine Fellowship Program please email 

bsom-neurores@wright.edu for further instructions.