I have a busy life. What is the workload for the Fellowship?
The fellowship is a total of approximately 300 contact hours of hybrid learning over the course of 17-24 months, depending on time of year you enroll and the numbers in your cohort. There are breaks of time built into the curriculum where no work is “due,” and the workload varies slightly for each course. Generally, learners will spend between 2-4 hours/week completing coursework. There are times when this will be more intense, and times of less engagement as well.
Are there times that I need to be present on Zoom or in person?
Yes. Only one of the ten courses in the PSF is fully self-study. All others involve some degree of interaction, and much of the coursework is highly interactive, requiring synchronous learning via Zoom. For example, Mentored Fellowship Practice requires your presence at monthly 60-minute Zoom meetings for 10-12 sessions. During Fellowship Virtual Rounds, you are required to attend 15 out of 16 scheduled weekly 90-minute evening Zoom sessions. There are two on-site weekend intensives as well. This degree of participation builds a strong community with your peers which often extends long after you have completed the program.
What about that mentorship aspect… do I need to travel somewhere to follow a Pain Science Fellow around their clinic and work with them?
No. We do mentorship a bit differently than what you may have experienced in a manual therapy fellowship or similar experience. Mentorship is done virtually, largely in a group format. In the class “Mentored Fellowship Practice,” each member of a cohort presents a current, challenging case at some point during their fellowship journey. All members of their cohort are in attendance at the Zoom meeting. A faculty member guides a group discussion in which the case is explored for areas of potential intervention that have yet to be implemented, or which need to be revisited. Instead of one opinion, the presenter gets a host of first-in-class pain specialists chiming in to provide a depth of ideas for our most challenging cases. Presenters, faculty members and peers take away a great deal of clinical wisdom from these rich, interactive sessions. Informal mentorship also occurs between fellows in training and their advisors for their scholarly projects, as well as between learners and the program director.
If not during the mentorship class, are there any outside observational requirements that will require me to take time off work?
Yes. In your course on Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Approaches to PNE, you will be asked to observe three different clinicians outside of your discipline for a minimum of 6 hours. This can be broken up into short periods, or full days. You can plan on a good 18-24 hours out of the clinic during normal business hours to fulfill this requirement of the fellowship. The experience is highly valuable in establishing and/or enriching relationships with people in your community with whom you may share patients. Depending on the nature of your scholarly project, you may also require some time away from your usual “day job” routine to complete your responsibilities for the project.
What is Virtual Rounds in the curriculum?
In Pain Science Virtual Rounds, clinicians record themselves completing two complete initial evaluations (ideally with a bit of treatment included). Videos are uploaded to a secure platform, and all peers, as well as assigned faculty members, view the session. Then, we meet for 90 minutes to dissect the case together, looking at areas of strength, areas to grow, and worthwhile topics of conversation generated by the case. It can feel a bit nerve-wracking for learners at first, but invariably, clinicians who go through this process of in-depth peer and faculty review say it is the most powerful learning experience of the fellowship. We strive to create a safe and encouraging environment, focused on empowering the fellow-in-training to be the best version of their clinical-self possible.
What is the Scholarly Project in the curriculum?
All fellows complete a scholarly project during the fellowship. This can be a case study, case series, or participation in an ongoing Therapeutic Neuroscience Research Group project – all of which involve the goal of publication. If research isn’t a priority or interest, fellows in training also have the option to complete a community service or leadership project. All projects are done with the guidance of an advisor but involve a good deal of independent work. At the Capstone Weekend Intensive, fellows present their projects to their peers, highlighting how their work can help promote pain neuroscience on a larger scale, changing the world for the better.
If I go through the Fellowship, am I guaranteed a spot as an instructor for EIM?
Fellows in training get a great deal of experience presenting, teaching, moderating online discussions and developing leadership skills throughout their time in the program. Since its inception, the majority of new instructors in the pain science division of EIM have come through the Pain Science Fellowship. It is our “training ground” for pain faculty and going through it opens the door by giving you extensive exposure to those responsible for developing new instructors. It is our hope that the demand for education in pain science continues to grow, and that our needs for additional faculty members grows right along with it! That said, we cannot guarantee a teaching spot simply based on completion of the fellowship. Market demand, fellow-in-training performance, and other considerations are also weighed when contracting with new instructors.
Is the Pain Science Fellowship an accredited program through the APTA, AAOMPT, ABTRE or other “official” physical therapy organization?
No, it is not. While the Pain Science Fellowship is modeled after EIM’s Manual Therapy Fellowship in partnership with Bellin College in format and rigor, it is unique because of its multidisciplinary nature. OTs, MDs, RNs, psychologists and more are welcome to enroll in the program. There is currently no governing body that approves this first-of-a-kind deep-dive pain science programming across multiple disciplines. Graduates are encouraged to write out “Fellow of Pain Science” after their professional designations to describe their training.
Should I go straight from TPS into the Pain Science Fellowship, or should I take a break between?
It depends! If you have been practicing in a pain clinic or other setting where you have implemented many of the PNE techniques introduced in the TPS program for enough time to give you reasonable confidence with the skills, you may want to keep the momentum going and enroll in the fellowship immediately after TPS. However, if the majority of the content in TPS was new to you, you would likely benefit from implementing your TPS skills for 6-12 months before jumping into the fellowship to hone those skills before taking them to the next level. Stage of life, your facility’s CE benefits, and other life considerations can influence this decision as well. A chat with the program director may help guide you in this decision, and we are always happy to arrange that!
Can I get contact hours for the courses that I will take during the program?
Yes! All of our course content is approved by the state of Texas for CE use which uses one of the most rigorous approval processes.
What’s the difference between hybrid and online offerings?
While online learning may include virtual interaction and collaboration with peers and faculty, hybrid learning combines the best of online and hands-on learning, allowing students to cover foundational knowledge and concepts online before on-site weekend intensives where they learn, practice and perfect their hands-on skills.
When do I need to apply for a program?
Program application deadlines vary but most programs offer four cohort starts throughout the year. Please see specific program pages to see which cohorts are offered.
Application deadlines for cohorts are:
Spring Cohort: February 1 (Program starts second Monday in March)
Summer Cohort: June 1 (Program starts second Monday in July)
Fall Cohort: August 1 (Program starts second Monday in September)
Winter Cohort: December 1 (Program starts second Monday in January)
What happens after I submit my application?
After you submit your application, our program team will review the information and determine your acceptance into the program. If more information is needed for admittance, our team will reach out and request the missing information. You will receive an admissions decision within 1-2 business days. Once accepted, our team works with you to set up a plan of study and a payment plan as applicable.
Do you offer payment plans?
Students are responsible for an initial tuition deposit with the return of their student contract. Students may pay the remaining balance in monthly payments. If monthly payments are selected, the student must provide EIM with credit card information. The charges will be automatically charged to that credit card each month, beginning in month one of the program. Tuition is required to be paid in full two months prior to program completion. EIM is happy to accommodate direct billing to sponsoring organizations (e.g. employers) where applicable. If you have questions regarding your payments, please contact EIM’s billing department at (888) 709-7096 or finance@eimpt.com.
What’s the difference between my EIM Profile and the EIM Classroom?
EIM Profile (formerly My EIM) is where you can keep track of your program progress and update your information all in one place. Access EIM Profile to see your Plan of Study, update your email, address and more. EIM Classroom (formerly Moodle Classroom or My Learning) is where your courses actually take place. Access EIM Classroom for your coursework, videos, quizzes, and any other course material.
What do I wear to the weekend intensive?
Appropriate dress: Participants are asked to bring appropriate attire for lab sessions (i.e. shorts and t-shirts and sports bras for women) and air-conditioned environments throughout the day (i.e. warm-up or work-out clothes).
What do I bring to the weekend intensive?
Bring your laptop to be able to access course material, reference research and take your online quiz. The powerpoint slides will be printed out in your lab manual for you to reference and take notes. If you are taking Concussion Management, you will be doing various neurocognitive assessments on your laptop.
How do I ensure I receive communications related to this course?
To ensure you receive all communication about your course, please add noreply@mylearning.evidenceinmotion.com to your email contacts or safe senders list.
Which browser should I use for my coursework?
Canvas, our learning platform, supports the current and previous major releases of the following browsers:
Chrome 91 and 93
Firefox 90 and 91 (Extended Releases are not supported*)
Edge 91 and 93
Respondus Lockdown Browser (supporting the latest system requirements)
Safari 13 and 14 (Macintosh only)
What is the EIM program refund policy?
EIM recognizes that conditions can occur that may necessitate a withdrawal from the Program. EIM will calculate and provide a refund of a portion of the payment on a per credit hour basis for students who must withdraw. The actual refund amount (if any) will equal the total dollar amount of tuition payments made to EIM that exceed the dollar value of the total per credit hour tuition amount for course(s) accessed. The total per credit hour tuition amount includes the tuition of course(s) partially completed. EIM’s decision to refund assumes that the student or Partner requesting a refund is current on all outstanding payments. Refunds on fees such as participant’s application fees, programming fees, and materials fees will not be provided.