ABFM Pain Medicine study plan

Distinguish nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain mechanisms and justify each classification with at least three supporting history or exam findings

Administer and interpret at least five validated instruments (numeric rating scale, PEG, DN4, PainDETECT, PHQ-9, GAD-7) and state the scoring threshold that changes management for each

Construct a complete multidimensional assessment outline covering biopsychosocial contributors, functional status, substance use history, and red-flag screening

Differentiate pain generators by regional exam maneuvers for the cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulder, and knee, listing the single most useful provocative test per region

Identify red-flag presentations (cord compression, infection, malignancy, fracture, visceral emergency) and state the immediate next step for each

Compare non-opioid analgesics (acetaminophen, NSAIDs, topical agents, muscle relaxants) by mechanism, ceiling effect, organ toxicity, and drug-interaction profile

Select adjuvant agents (gabapentinoids, SNRIs, tricyclics, topical lidocaine, capsaicin) for neuropathic and centralized pain syndromes and justify the choice against comorbidity

Calculate safe dose ceilings and monitoring intervals for NSAIDs and acetaminophen in patients with renal impairment, hepatic disease, heart failure, and older age

Translate assessment findings from week 1 into a written non-opioid titration plan for three contrasting case vignettes

Perform equianalgesic opioid conversions using standard multipliers, including methadone and buprenorphine transitions, and apply a 25-50% reduction for incomplete cross-tolerance

Apply opioid risk-mitigation elements at initiation and follow-up: urine drug testing, prescription drug monitoring program review, naloxone co-prescribing, and written treatment agreements

Diagnose opioid use disorder using DSM-5-TR criteria and select induction, maintenance, and monitoring parameters for buprenorphine or methadone

Recommend a taper schedule for a patient on long-term opioids whose function or safety no longer justifies continuation, and describe withdrawal management

Match common interventional procedures (epidural steroid injection, facet medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation, sacroiliac injection, trigger point injection, peripheral nerve block, sympathetic block) to their evidence-supported indications

Identify absolute and relative contraindications and describe anticoagulation and antiplatelet management around neuraxial and deep procedures

Explain informed consent elements specific to procedural pain care, including expected benefit magnitude, alternatives, and the most common and most serious complications

Summarize local anesthetic systemic toxicity recognition and lipid emulsion rescue dosing

Assess post-procedural outcomes using validated change measures (numeric rating scale change, percent pain relief, duration of relief) and describe how the result directs the next step in a treatment algorithm

Compare neuromodulation modalities (spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation) by indication, trial criteria, and complication profile

Describe imaging and diagnostic injection reasoning used to localize a pain generator when exam findings are equivocal

Outline documentation, coding, and quality-reporting requirements for interventional pain procedures

Describe cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and pain reprocessing approaches well enough to state their core mechanism, typical session structure, and expected effect size

Design a graded activity and exercise progression for a patient with chronic low back pain and high pain-related fear, specifying baseline, progression rule, and flare-management plan

Screen for and manage catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, sleep disruption, and depression as modifiable barriers to rehabilitation, and identify when to refer to a pain psychologist

Differentiate physical therapy, occupational therapy, and vocational rehabilitation roles and specify the referral question for each

Assemble a multidisciplinary treatment plan for a complex patient that assigns each discipline a specific role, timeline, and measurable outcome

Evaluate a clinic-level controlled substance policy and identify gaps in monitoring, refill, and aberrant-behavior response procedures

Apply continuity-of-care and care-coordination principles across primary care, specialty pain, behavioral health, and pharmacy, including transitions and documentation handoffs

Analyze a complex case for safety and systems failure points, including polypharmacy, falls risk, and health-equity considerations

Integrate all five domains into a timed 100-item cumulative assessment and review every missed item with a written mechanism-based explanation

Re-test the three weakest subtopics identified by prior deliverables and confirm improvement against a self-set threshold

Rehearse high-yield rapid-recall facts for pharmacologic dosing, procedural contraindications, and opioid safety in a timed format

Build a final two-week maintenance schedule that sustains recall of all five domains through the examination date