Hello and welcome to the World of Pain MD podcast where we discuss all things pain with the experts.

I am Dr Derick Davis, a physician specializing in pain management.

So, as pain medicine fellowship season starts to kick off in full swing here, I thought there would be no better person to discuss their opinion on what makes a successful pain applicant than my program director, Dr Mohammed Issa.

Dr. Issa went to medical school at the University of Alexandria in Egypt. He completed his residency in psychiatry at West Virginia University, where he was also chief resident. He subsequently finished three fellowships (three!) - first in addiction psychiatry at Yale, then Pain medicine at Harvard through Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and then a forensic psychiatry fellowship at West Virginia University. He is the perfect guest for this topic not just because he is a program director with more than half a decade of experience but also because he is so knowledgeable and incredibly insightful.

I hope this helps to give you a perspective of a pain fellowship program director and more largely into the field of pain itself.

Applying for a fellowship, regardless of the specialty, is a daunting and relatively expensive process. Do not be too hard on yourself during it and wherever you end up will be the right place. And frankly if you feel it is not, this fellowship is only one year. The field of pain is a fascinating and meaningful endeavor and I wish you the best in its pursuit