About Our Online Programs
Our joint programs between two prestigious USC schools, Keck School of Medicine of USC and Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, are suitable for practicing health professionals from a wide variety of fields, including physicians, dentists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, and more. Our world renowned faculty are thrilled to provide a unique opportunity to practicing professionals to learn pain medicine. Our mission is to leverage our research and education to advance and share knowledge of pain medicine and treating pain.
Overview – Master of Science in Pain Medicine
Curriculum
Fall Semester: Total of 6 Units
PAIN 701 Pharmacotherapeutics for Pain (2 units)
This course will provide an introduction into the complex area of treatment with opioids, as well as the many other pharmacological options.
PAIN 702 Pain Classification and Diagnosis – Part 1 (2 units)
This course provides an introduction of pain classification and diagnosis to familiarize the student with a standardized approach to painful conditions.
PAIN 703 Psychological Aspects of the Pain Experience: Individual and Family (2 Units)
This course explores the psychological and social perspectives that influence chronic pain, reinforcing the need to look beyond the initial physical diagnosis.
Spring Semester: Total of 6 Units
PAIN 704 Pain and Society: Epidemiology and Cultural issues (1 unit)
This course explores the societal issues related to pain, including the role of culture, ethnicity, caregiving, social and psychological factors related to pain and pain management.
PAIN 705 Pain Assessment: History and Physical Examination (1 units)
This course is designed to assist in evaluation of patients suffering from pain, distinguishing between types of pain that may be acute or chronic.
PAIN 706 Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Pathology (2 units)
This course is an anatomical survey of the human musculoskeletal system, focused on common pathologies that generate pain.
PAIN 707 Pain Neuroscience (2 units)
This course focus on anatomy of peripheral and central nociceptors, molecular mechanisms that underlie primary responses, neural networks, and neural mechanisms involved in hyperalgesia and allodynia.
Fall Semester: Total of 7 Units
PAIN 708 Opioids (1 unit)
This course explores opioid therapeutics including proper use, dosing, side effects and its management, use in special populations, and legal/ethical considerations for prescribers and dispensers.
PAIN 709 Pain Classification and Diagnosis – Part 2 (2 units)
During this course, the student will gain knowledge and ability to recognize as well as ability to recognize fine differences in various common pain conditions.
PAIN 710 Advanced Pain Physiology and Neuroscience (1 units)
This course discusses advanced neurophysiology of pain including immunology and epigenetics, neuropathic pain, inflammation, with a series of lectures and sessions to analyze clinical cases.
PAIN 711 Research Methodology (2 units)
The purpose of this course is to understand how to conduct a systematic review, research question, searching the literature, summarizing the evidence and interpreting the findings.
PAIN 712a Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
The capstone project includes a collaborative research project or a supervised internship (practicum) incorporating a service learning approach.
PAIN 713a Case Studies (0.5 unit)
This course has multiple elements including weekly online discussions of cases; learning need assignments; defense of an 18 cases or scenarios e-Portfolio.
Spring Semester: Total of 6 Units
PAIN 714 Public policy and Legal issues (1 units)
This courses discus Public Policy and Legal Issues in Pain Medicine including the California Medical Board Guidelines for Pain Medication, CURES, and legislation related with the discipline.
PAIN 715 History of Pain: Theory and Treatment (1 unit)
In this course we will trace through history our collective understanding of pain by examining the people, theories, and technologies which have brought us to our modern understanding.
PAIN 716 Neuropathic pain (1 units)
This course will focus on pain caused by nervous system dysfunction with focus on assessment, physiology, diagnoses and treatment.
PAIN 717 Psychological Aspects of Chronic Pain (2 units)
Information and demonstration on specific psychological treatments to decrease pain levels and manage pain flares.
PAIN 712b Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
The capstone project includes a collaborative research project or a supervised internship (practicum) incorporating a service learning approach.
PAIN 713b Case Studies (0.5 unit)
This course has multiple elements including weekly online discussions of cases; learning need assignments; defense of an 18 cases or scenarios e-Portfolio.
Fall Semester: Total of 5 Units
PAIN 718 Complementary Approaches (2 units)
The purpose of this course is to educate on treatment options in pain management by providing framework for integrative models of care.
PAIN 719 Elective 1 Building a practice: Institutional or private (1 units)
This course discusses aspects related with building and managing a Pain Practice. Considering this is an interdisciplinary program, specific discipline issues will be addressed.
PAIN 722 Elective 1 Palliative Care in end of life (1 units)
This course presents key concepts in palliative medicine and hospice care, ranging from management of common symptoms, to best practices in communication with patients and their families.
PAIN 712c Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
The capstone project includes a collaborative research project or a supervised internship (practicum) incorporating a service learning approach.
PAIN 713c Case Studies (0.5 unit)
This course has multiple elements including weekly online discussions of cases; learning need assignments; defense of an 18 cases or scenarios e-Portfolio.
Spring Semester: Total of 6 Units
PAIN 720 Physical & Occupational Therapies (1 units)
This course discusses different Physical and Occupational Therapy techniques for assessing and treating chronic pain.
PAIN 721 Elective 2 Advanced Therapeutics (2 units)
Patients who suffer from chronic pain often fail to respond to basic treatments. Therefore it is crucial for clinicians to be familiar with different treatment options
PAIN 723 Elective 2 Orofacial Pain and Headache (2 units)
The purpose of this course is to educate the student about the prevalence, differential diagnosis, prevention and management for neurogenic orofacial pain and headache disorders.
PAIN 712d Pain Medicine Capstone (0.5 unit)
The capstone project includes a collaborative research project or a supervised internship (practicum) incorporating a service learning approach.
PAIN 713d Case Studies (0.5 unit)
This course has multiple elements including weekly online discussions of cases; learning need assignments; defense of an 18 cases or scenarios e-Portfolio.