The Real Pain After Fellowship: Choosing Academia vs. Private Practice

Whether you’re preparing for your first contract, early in practice, or mentoring the next generation of pain physicians, this must-watch discussion offers candid insights on the real-world career tradeoffs facing new attendings. 

Learn:

• The truth about commonly assumed academia and private practice myths
• Day-to-day lifestyle realities, including call burden, clinical volume, and burnout risk
• How contracts, Relative Value Units (RVUs), ambulatory surgery center (ASC) buy-ins, and incentive structures impact your daily work and long-term trajectory
• Key differences in compensation, productivity expectations, and professional autonomy
• When and how loan forgiveness should factor into your career decision
• What “doing research” actually looks like in an academic setting

Your panel included:

• David Hao, MD, a double board-certified anesthesiologist and chronic pain physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he serves as the Director of the MGH Cancer Pain Program;
• Jay Karri, MD, a physiatrist and pain medicine physician at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland;
• Peggy Riso, MD, a double board-certified pain medicine physician and anesthesiologist at Southern Pain and Spine in Gainesville, Georgia;
• Christopher Robinson, MD, PhD, an anesthesiologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, who also serves on the IPSIS Advocacy Committee and Coverage Committee; and
• Kevin Vu, MD, a physiatrist and pain medicine physician at the Pain and Wellness Center in Peabody, Massachusetts.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.