Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellowship


Fellowship Director


Important Dates

Application deadline is:
12/15/2023    

All interviews will occur remotely
on 1/26/2024 (tentative)

Fellowship Start Date:
9/1/2024

*Please refer to the Application Process section for requirements & more information

Program Overview

The Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine is presently inviting applications for the Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellowship 2024-2025 training year; we anticipate up to 2 positions.

The Pediatric Pain Management team at Stanford is a multidisciplinary team that consists of pain physicians, nurse practitioners, pain psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and educational specialists. Team members work collaboratively to provide evidence-based treatment to children experiencing chronic pain conditions. Our team believes in the importance of a whole-child approach and is committed to providing excellent multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care aimed at helping children get back to a healthy, active life

Training

The pediatric pain psychology fellowship aims to train a new generation of leaders committed to advancing the science of pain treatment, alleviating the pain of all children, and eradicating disparities in pediatric pain care. Throughout the training year, fellows will participate in a variety of experiences including:

Clinical Experiences:

  • Outpatient Pain Treatment through the Pediatric Pain Management Clinic (PPMC) at Stanford Children’s Health: Our clinic offers multidisciplinary outpatient services focusing on the evaluation and treatment of chronic pain. During this rotation, the fellow participates in interdisciplinary new patient evaluations, follows patients and their families for outpatient pain psychology treatment, and co-leads pain management groups and workshops.
  • Outpatient Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment through the Pediatric Rehabilitation Program (PReP): PReP is an intensive outpatient rehabilitation program. Physicians, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, educational specialists, and psychology fellows work collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team to address the complex challenges faced by youth who are significantly impaired by chronic pain and their families. During this rotation, the fellow works with patients in PReP providing pain psychology intervention including individual, family, and parent sessions, as well as joint sessions with PT, OT, and other specialties to support full engagement in treatment.
     

Research and professional development:  

  • Fellows have protected time (1 day per week) to participate in professional development activities and research projects. Current research opportunities include characterizing pain and treatment needs in AYA patients, development of treatment groups for the AYA population, understanding demographic and clinical factors that impact treatment recommendations for children presenting to primary care with musculoskeletal pain, the effectiveness of interdisciplinary treatment on child and family functioning, understanding predictors of chronic pain in children and tracking long-term outcomes, and the role of psychological factors on treatment efficacy. Development of independent projects is encouraged. Fellows will have supervision for professional development and research projects and will have support to attend national conferences.
     

Additional training opportunities and didactics: 

  • In addition to training at the outpatient clinic and intensive outpatient rehabilitation program, the fellow will be provided the opportunity to train in clinical hypnosis by attending the 3-day training offered by the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute (NPHTI) and an online biofeedback certification training. Fellows also participate in seminars and lectures at the Departments of Anesthesia, and throughout the School of Medicine.
     

**Please note training opportunities and conferences may be converted to remote delivery and could also be canceled to optimize safety guidelines as they relate to COVID-19 safety restrictions. 

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the nation’s most desirable places to live: its diverse cultures, temperate year-round climate, world-class arts scene, food and wine, and access to recreation (ski slopes, hiking trails, redwood forests, beaches, wine country, and bustling cities) afford delightfully unique benefits. Stanford University sits within the dynamic Silicon Valley region, in the cosmopolitan town of Palo Alto  –   just 35 miles south of San Francisco and 15 miles north of San Jose.

Current and Past Fellows

  • Alexandra Neville, PhD
    • Year: 2022 - Present
    • Graduate School: University of Calgary
    • Internship: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
    • Current Position: Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellow, Stanford Children's Health
  • Courtney Hess, PhD
    • Year: 2021 - Present
    • Graduate School: University of Massachusetts Boston
    • Internship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    • Current Position: Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellow, Stanford Children's Health
  • Yoonhee Kim, PsyD
    • Year: 2023-Present
    • Graduate School: PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium
    • Internship: Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
    • Current Position: Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellow, Stanford Children's Health
  • Ayesha Sujan, PhD
    • Year: 2023-Present
    • Graduate School: Indiana University
    • Internship: Medical University of South Carolina
    • Current Position: Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellow, Stanford Children's Health

Stipend and Benefits

Stanford Children’s Health Center offers fellows a competitive stipend as well as benefits (e.g., medical, dental, vision, disability, life and accident benefits provided, and partial coverage offered for spouses/registered domestic partners and/or children). 

Annual stipend is $71,650 plus the fellow will be offered monthly housing allowance and one time moving allowance (after applicable taxes).

Educational and travel funds are available to the fellow (details provided during acceptance into program).

Paid leave includes: 15 days vacation/personal time off, 5 days conference attendance, 6 weeks pregnancy leave, sick days, and university holidays.

Application Process

Applicant Requirements

Candidates with previous clinical and research experiences in pediatric behavioral medicine are strongly encouraged to apply.

All applicants must have:

  1. APA- or CPA-accredited graduate programs in clinical, counseling psychology, school psychology, or clinical child psychology programs.
  2. APA- or CPA-accredited internships; and
  3. Completion of all requirements for their PhD or PsyD prior to beginning their appointment.

Required Application Materials

Application deadline is December 15th, 2023. Interviews will occur remotely on January 26th, 2024 (tentative). To apply please send all required documents by email to our application coordinator: Jessica Martinez: jimenez5@stanford.edu and Ana Goya Arce (fellowship director): agoyaarc@stanford.edu

Required Docs


After all requirements are received, Ms. Martinez will send a department application form to be filled out and returned by email to complete the written application.

Minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Fellowship Start Date: September 1st, 2024.

E-mail inquiries can be directed to Ana Goya Arce, PhD, Director of Pediatric Pain Psychology Fellowship at agoyaarc@stanford.edu