Master of Science in Pain Medicine

Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

The Division of Pain Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC offers an intensive 3-year Master’s degree.

This multidisciplinary program is specifically designed for all licensed clinicians (physicians, dentists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, etc.) who seek advanced knowledge in pain medicine. The program responds to a critical need for pain education to support the world’s aging population, and to help professionals develop ethical and manageable pain relief systems for patients and clients. The Online Master in Pain Medicine is a program with a total 27 courses (33 academic units), specifically designed for the practicing professional who wants to improve skills and gain expertise to deliver the best care for patients with complex pain conditions.  The curriculum is designed with a series of didactic courses where students will gain knowledge about the diagnosis, pathobiology and management of pain conditions. The goal of this postdoctoral 3-year Master program is to give practicing health care providers advanced clinical, didactic, and evidence-based education in the field of Pain Medicine.

The students participate in weekly live online sessions with faculty and other program residents, ensuring a collaborative and social learning experience. There are 2-3 courses per trimester, with 2-4 streaming video lectures for viewing each week.  After each video lecture students complete an associated online quiz (comprised of multiple choice, short answer or fill-in questions).

Program Goals and Objectives

Graduates of this program will gain an understanding of the following:

1. Multidimensional nature of pain

• Basic neuron atoms and neurophysiology of pain
• History of theories of pain and the evolution of pain treatments
• Advanced neurophysiology of pain including immunology and epigenetics
• The history and current state of US policy and law towards opioids
• The impact of these policies on the public and the physician

2. Pain Assessment and Measurement

• Pain classification systems and Part 1 of pain diagnoses, including acute pain, headache and back pain
• Assessing patients with chronic pain
• Common pain diagnoses – Cancer, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Musculoskeletal

3. Management of Pain

• Psychosocial aspects of the pain experience, psychological comorbidities
• Fundamentals of pharmacological treatment of pain
• History, physiology, and policy aspects of opioids in medicine and addiction
• Psychological aspects of treating pain & its comorbidities
• Chiropractic medicine, osteopathy, homeopathy and acupuncture in the treatment of pain
• Adding a pain focus to a clinical practice: when to refer, pitfalls, building a team, marketing
• Management of physical and emotional distress at the end of life
• PT & OT techniques for assessing and treating chronic pain
• Interventional treatments and advanced pharmacotherapy–appropriate for prescribing clinicians

4. Clinical Conditions

• Understanding the mechanics of musculoskeletal pain
• Pain caused by nervous system dysfunction
• Pain as a disease: assessment, physiology, diagnoses and treatment
• Assessing and treating common orofacial pain diagnoses

Courses:

PAIN-701     Pharmacotherapeutics for Pain  (2 units)
PAIN-702     Pain Classification and Diagnosis – Part 1 (2 units)
PAIN-703     Psychological Aspects of the Pain Experience: Individual and Family (2 Units)
PAIN-704     Pain and Society: Epidemiology and Cultural issues (1 unit)
PAIN-705     Pain Assessment:  History and Physical Examination (1 units)
PAIN-708     Opioids  (1 unit)
PAIN-709     Pain Classification and Diagnosis – Part 2 (2 units)
PAIN-710     Advanced Pain Physiology and Neuroscience  (1 units)
PAIN-711     Research Methodology
PAIN-712a   Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
PAIN-713a   Case Studies   (0.5 unit)
PAIN-712b   Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
PAIN-713b   Case Studies   (0.5 unit)
PAIN-712c   Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
PAIN-713c   Case Studies   (0.5 unit)
PAIN-712d   Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
PAIN-713d   Case Studies   (0.5 unit)
PAIN-714     Public policy and Legal issues (1 units)
PAIN-715     History of Pain:  Theory and Treatment (1 unit)
PAIN-716     Neuropathic pain (1 units)
PAIN-717     Psychological Aspects of Chronic Pain (2 units)
PAIN-718     Complementary Approaches  (2 units)
PAIN-719     Elective 1 Building a practice: Institutional or private (1 unit)
PAIN-720     Physical & Occupational Therapies  (1 units)
PAIN-721     Elective 2 Advanced Therapeutics (2 units)
PAIN-722     Elective 1 Palliative Care in end of life (1 units)
PAIN-723     Elective 2 Orofacial Pain and Headache (2 units)

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Steven Richeimer	Dr. Glenn Clark