For Spine Professionals and Students

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine ranks among the top medical schools and most advanced Neurosurgery programs in the United States. Through a partnership with UPMC, Pennsylvania's largest health care system, and with four hospitals within or adjoining the main university campus, the school offers an innovative curriculum that provides residents and fellows with intensive hands-on training.

Our spine experts take pride in training spine care professionals of the future and delivering best-in-class educational experiences.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program

Our training program in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) offers residents:

Broad experience in PM&R and a comprehensive didactic series.
Nationally recognized basic science, translational, and clinical spine research programs.
Superior clinical training at UPMC facilities.

Learn more about our Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program.

Value-Based Fellowship in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine

Our training program in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine offers fellows:

Opportunities to engage in the growth of alternative payment and care structures.
Training in advanced management of spine and musculoskeletal conditions to develop leaders in value-driven care.
Work in novel interdisciplinary PM&R outpatient clinics and rotations with various other specialists.

Learn more about our Value-Based Fellowship in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine.

LB3P: Low Back Pain Research Study

The LB3P: Low Back Pain Research Study offers researchers:

Experience collecting and analyzing data on chronic low back pain, including biological, biomechanical, and behavioral data.
The ability to contribute to a novel, integrated biopsychosocial approach to combat the opioid epidemic.
The opportunity to participate in an innovative, multidisciplinary collaboration of investigators.

Learn more about the LB3P: Low Back Pain Research Study.

Outpatient Rehabilitation

Physical Therapy Residency Programs

Physical Therapy Residency Programs offer trainees American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE)-accredited post-professional training in five subspecialties:

Our programs last 12 to 19 months and include mentored clinical training by ABPTS board-certified physical therapists, board-certified surgeons, primary care doctors, and leading experts in each subspecialty.

Trainees have the opportunity to participate in:

Case presentations.
Department of Physical Therapy Grand Rounds.
Didactic coursework.
Journal clubs.
Teaching conferences.

Learn more about our Physical Therapy Residency Programs.

Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research

This laboratory offers researchers the opportunity to:

Develop biological, biomechanical, and cell-based therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).
Participate in research to understand the biology behind IDD.

Learn more about the Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research.

Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh

This laboratory offers researchers the opportunity to advance the study of musculoskeletal disorders, including:

Degenerative arthritis
Fragility fractures
Osteoporosis
Spinal pathology

Learn more about the Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

Orthopaedic Surgery

Spinal Surgery Fellowship

The Spinal Surgery Fellowship offers fellows:

A year-long training program to develop expertise in treating cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine diseases.
Access to spine research laboratories focusing on cell, tissue, and gene therapy research; biomechanical and robotic studies; and cervical spine motion studies.
Diverse, high-volume clinical experience focusing on degenerative, traumatic, infectious, neoplastic, and arthritic spinal conditions.

Learn more about our Spinal Surgery Fellowship.

Neurological Surgery

The UPMC Department of Neurological Surgery offers a seven-year (PGY 1-7) residency program internationally renowned as a training ground for exceptional neurosurgeons. Accredited by the UPMC Graduate Medical Education Council, as well as the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the program is currently approved to train 28 residents, four each year (29 residents until June 30, 2025). The program's goal is to provide exceptional clinical and scientific education to top-notch graduates of medical schools who wish to be future leaders in the field of neurological surgery. Learn more about our residency program.

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery offers several fellowships, including AO Spine and Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST)-approved fellowships.

These fellowships include the following:

Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Deformity Fellowship

Complex and minimally invasive spine fellows are trained for all spinal diseases, degenerative, deformity, oncology, and trauma spinal pathologies, with a special emphasis on open and minimally invasive techniques to treat adult spinal deformity and complex reconstructive spine surgery. Experience in all disorders of the craniocervical, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine is available. The option for additional training in peripheral nerve, sports medicine and spinal stereotactic radiosurgery is also available. Learn more about the Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Deformity Fellowship.

Spine/Trauma Fellowship

Fellows in the spine and neurotrauma track receive advanced training across all aspects of spinal disorders, with a special emphasis on managing acute neurosurgical emergencies. Fellows are integrated into the UPMC neurotrauma service and can pursue additional training in sports neurosurgery, including concussion evaluation and management and care of sports-related spine and peripheral nerve injuries. Spine/trauma fellows can shadow program faculty with professional and collegiate sports teams in Pittsburgh. Learn more about the Spine/Trauma Fellowship.