NASS Recognized Interventional Spine / MSK Fellowship

The Virginia iSpine Physicians Interventional Spine Care fellowship program is a rigorous training program that teaches physiatrists an evidence based, algorithmic approach to diagnosing and treating painful spinal disorders. Fellows learn how to critically evaluate and interpret historical features, physical exam findings, diagnostic imaging features, and electrodiagnostic evaluations to formulate a comprehensive differential diagnosis. Inherent in this process is the judicious use of fluoroscopically guided precision spinal procedures to accurately diagnose and optimally treat symptoms.

Fellows contribute to original research, grant writing, abstract and manuscript preparation, and student, resident, and patient education. These research and community outreach activities are orchestrated through the Virginia Spine Research Institute, Inc.

Fellows trained in this curriculum will learn how to operate an efficient iSpine practice, practice evidence based spine medicine, and conduct meaningful spine research. A minimum 2 day interview visit is required after application submission and invitation to visit. Two positions are offered starting in July and September of each academic year. Interviews are conducted starting in May and run through mid August of the preceding calendar year.

Interested applicants should submit the following documents by email:

1. A letter of intent / NASS application
2. Personal statement
3. Current CV
4. Headshot
5. 3 letters of recommendation
6. USMLE or COMLEX Step 1, 2 & 3 transcript of scores
7. SAE PGY2 and PGY3 (when received) scores
8. Copy of COVID vaccination with booster
9. $50 administrative fee is due with each application. Checks may be made out to Virginia iSpine Physicians or call 803-330-0303 to pay with credit card.

Past Fellows

2009
Brian Trussell, MD
Founder of Interventional Spine and Sports Institute in Hattiesburg, MS

2011
Thomas Saullo, MD
Spine and Scoliosis Specialists in Greensboro, NC

2012
Ben Laplante, DO
URMC Spine Center in Rochester, NY

2013
Derek Buck, MD
OrthoArkansas in Little Rock, AR

2014
Barry Sanderlin, MD
Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists in Hickory, NC

2015
Justin J. Gasper, DO
US Physiatry, Lake Saint Louis, MO

“Virginia iSpine interventional spine fellowship is a rigorous one year fellowship. The fellowship, under the guidance of Dr. DePalma, will prepare you for practice with real world experiences including managing a busy follow up schedule, hands on procedure training, and new patient experiences that incorporate the latest evidence based medicine. The fellowship is designed with graduated autonomy to ensure your success. I personally found it valuable to have so much exposure to a ‘real world’ functioning private interventional spine practice as opposed to a more academic program. When I joined my first practice out of training I was very comfortable managing complex spine patients because of my experiences gained through fellowship.”

2016
Daniel L. Kline, MD
Integrated Spine & Pain Services Division of Integrated Neurology Services, Alexandria, VA

“Working with Dr. DePalma definitely prepared me for practice. After completing the fellowship I started and am directing an interventional spine program at a non-profit hospital system. Hands on experience and an in depth knowledge of current evidence based practice are key to success but so are the business aspects that you will also gain from working with Dr. DePalma. Many of the things I learned while there have helped me grow the program. I would recommend without reservation, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from the best.”

2017
David B. Essaff, DO
Winchester Medical Center- Valley Health, Winchester, VA

2018
Shoji Ishigami, MD, PhD
West Virginia University Berkeley Medical Center, Martinsburg, WV

“The fellowship at Virginia iSpine Physicians has exposed me to a hybrid model of running an efficient private practice while practicing evidence based medicine with a strong academic influence.
This unique experience prepared me to start a new practice in an academic setting. Sharing the latest evidence based interventional spine care with the community is just as important as providing access to cost effective care in the community. Dr. DePalma not only prepared me with the biomedical and technical aspects of interventional procedures but also cultivated my development into a versatile spine specialist who can endure the challenging environment of academic medicine. Dr. DePalma gave me the opportunity to advance my career and I am very grateful that I have Dr. DePalma as a mentor.”

2020
Edward Lam, M.D.
Winchester Medical Center- Valley Health, Winchester, VA

2021
Ameer Ali, D.O.
Precision Spine Care, Lufkin, TX

“After completing fellowship, I feel confident with applying my newly acquired skills while exercising good clinical judgement rooted in evidence-based medicine. Additionally, given the fellowship is in a private practice setting, I developed a sound business sense with regards to billing etc. During fellowship, I did a high volume of procedures following SIS guidelines. Additionally, I was the Principal Investigator of a double-blind randomized controlled trial of an Intra-Discal procedure for the treatment of radicular pain. I was also a sub-investigator in several other research trials. The staff in the office is also very supportive and made my experience memorable. In summary, the ViSP fellowship under Dr. DePalma allowed me to develop the knowledge and skillset needed to be a sound Interventional Spinal physician. The mentorship I have gained in Dr. DePalma is invaluable and I strongly endorse Virginia iSpine Physicians for further fellowship training.”

Melissa Lau, D.O.
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

“Dr. DePalma’s fellowship at Virginia iSpine Physicians teaches fellows to adopt a systematic, evidenced-based approach to spine care. We develop the clinical and procedural acumen to care for complex patients. The year-long training created an invaluable foundation for launching my career. Fellows have access to the best of both worlds: by training in a private-practice based program that has a strong academic influence, fellows can seamlessly transition to any clinical practice afterwards.”

2022
Mir Namath Ali, D.O.
Precision Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Washington, DC.

2023
Dan Nguyen, M.D.
Associate Professor/Interventional Spine and Pain at West Virginia University in Martinsburg, WV

Kelly R. Purcell, MD
Lehigh Valley Health Network in Lehigh Valley, PA

Published Papers

Papers fellows have written and published

• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Saullo T. Multivariable analyses of the relationships between age, gender, and body mass index and the source of chronic low back pain. Pain Med 2012;13:498-506.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Saullo TR, Laplante BL. Is the history of a surgical discectomy related to the source of chronic low back pain? Pain Phys 2012;15:E53-E58.
• Laplante BL, Ketchum JM, Saullo TR DePalma MJ,. Multivariable analysis of the relationship between pain referral patterns and the source of chronic low back pain. Pain Phys 2012;15:171-178.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Saullo T. Structural etiology of chronic low back pain due to motor vehicle collision. Pain Med 2011;12(11):1622-1627.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Saullo T. Etiology of chronic low back pain in patients having undergone lumbar fusion. Pain Med 2011;12(5):732-739.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Trussell BS, Saullo TR, Slipman CW. Does the location of low back pain predict its source? PM R 2011;3(1):33-9.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, Saullo T. What is the source of chronic low back pain and does age play a role? Pain Med 2011;12(2):224-233.
• DePalma MJ, Ketchum JM, PhD, Queler ED, Trussell BS. Prospective pilot study of painful lumbar facet joint arthropathy after intra-articular injection of Hylan G-F 20. PM R 2009;1(10):908-915.
• Laplante BL, DePalma, MJ, “Spine Osteoarthritis.” Osteoarthritis supplement, PMR, USA;2012;4:S28-S36.
• DePalma, MJ, Laplante BL, “Interventional spine care.” (Chapter) In: Orthopaedic Knowledge Update, Spine. (Eds) Rao R., Smuck M, American Academcy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Press, USA; 2012; 121-146.
• Saullo TR, DePalma, MJ, “Preparation for interventional procedures.” (Chapter) In: Interventional Pain Medicine. (Ed) Gupta A., Oxford University Press, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2012; 31-37.
• Trussell BS, DePalma, M.J., “Provocation discography evaluation of symptomatic cervical discs,” (Chapter) in iSpine: Evidence Based Interventional Spine Care, DePalma M. (Ed) New York: Demos Medical; 2011:302-309.

A Description of courses fellows are enrolled in and are sent to during the fellowship

Fellows attend and participate in Neuromodulation courses including didactic lectures and hands on cadaver training. In addition to regular didactic lectures and journal article discussions, fellows are taught procedure skills using spine procedure mannequin education tools in preparation for ample hands-on training with patients.

A listing of all our current clinical trials

Fellows serve as sub-investigators on numerous sponsored and non-sponsored clinical research trials. Dr. DePalma has been involved in 4 intradiscal biologic trials (Stryker Biotech; Depuy Spine/Advanced Technologies and Regenerative Medicine; Spinal Restoration; Mesoblast), and is currently involved in: an NIH funded multi-center trial on transforaminal epidural steroid injections for lumbar spinal stenosis; vertebral body radiofrequency ablation of the basivertebral nerve study (Relievant); diagnostic sacroiliac joint block evaluation (SI Bone); sacroiliac joint fusion trial (SI Bone); and spinal cord stimulation for axial low back pain (St. Jude). Virginia iSpine Physicians’ fellows participate in these trials by assisting in screening patients, performing baseline examinations, and serving as blinded evaluators for follow up assessments. The opportunity for fellows to serve as sub-investigators on trials evaluating innovative new technologies is rare and unique but positions fellows in our program to not only be familiar with these advancements but also allows fellows an inside track after graduation.