Our Faculty 

*Agenda is Subject to Change*

 

Friday, October 23rd

• Industry-Sponsored Cadaver Labs 

  • 11:00 AM Lab Check-In at Austin Marriott Downtown

  • 11:15 AM Bus departs to MedtoMarket

  • 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Lunch

  • 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Lab Rotation #1

  • 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM Break

  • 2:15 PM - 4:15 PM Lab Rotation 2

  • 4:15 PM Bus transfer back to the Austin Marriott Downtown

• Symposium Begins 

  • 5:00 PM  Conference Registration & Cocktail Reception 

  • 6:25 PM  Welcome Address 

  • 6:30 PM  Academic vs Private Practice vs Hospital Employment

    • Moderator: Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD

    • Panel: Gary Schwartz, MD;Kiran Patel, MD; Amitabh Gulati, MD; Chau
      Vu, MD; Michael Dorsi, MD; Jad Khalil, MD; Vafi Salmasi, MD, MS; Samir
      Sheth, MD

  • 7:00 PM  Tips for Navigating your Job Search |IEP Physician Search, Rachelle Henning 

  • 7:15 PM  5 Tips for Financial Optimization | Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors, Chris Robbins, CFP

• 7:30 PM  Adjourn

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Saturday, October 24th

• 6:30 AM Breakfast 

• Symposium Begins 

  • 7:20 AM  Non-pharmacological Pain Management Techniques versus Pharmacological Pain Management option 

    • 7:20 - 7:50 AM  Non-Pharmacological Pain techniques​

      • 7:20-7:35: Conservative Injections | Chau Vu, MD

      • 7:35-7:50: Implementables, MIS to Neuromodulation | Gary Schwartz, MD

    • 7:50 - 8:20 AM Pharmacological Pain Management

      • 7:50-8:05: Non- Opiate Management | Vafi Salmasi, MD, MS​

      • 8:05-8:25: Opiate Management | Gary Schwartz, MD

  • 8:25 AM  Panel Business Discussion

    • Moderator: Samir Sheth, MD

    • Co-Moderator: Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD

    • ​Panel: Amitabh Gulati, MD; Kiran Patel, MD; Vafi Salmasi, MD, MS; Chau Vu,
      MD; Jad Khalil, MD; Zwade J. Marshall, MD, MBA Doc2Doc Lending

      • Fundamentals of Medical Employment and Consulting Contracts

      • Business of ASCs

      • Importance of Advocacy and Policy

      • Billing and Coding

  • 9:35- 11:00 AM Industry Breakout 1 - Attendees visit Sponsors 

  • 11:00 AM Intermission  Coffee and Snack Break 

  • 11:15 AM  Panel Business Discussion 

    • Moderator: Kiran Patel, MD

    • Panel:  Gary Schwartz, MD; Amitabh Gulati, MD; Chau Vu, MD; Michael Dorsi,
      MD; Jad Khalil, MD; Vafi Salmasi, MD, MS; Samir Sheth, MD

      • Creating an Efficient Practice: From the Office to the OR

      • Ethics and Legal Issues Related to Pain Management

      • Managing Conflict of Interest 

      • Time Management and Burnout

      • Junior Partner? Best Practices and Lessons Learned

  • 12:30 PM Educational Lunch 

  • 1:30-3:30 PM: Case Presentations - Interventional Pain Management Techniques 

    • 1:30 PM Spinal neuromodulation | Samir Sheth, MD

    • 1:45 PM Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty,| Jad Khalil, MD

    • 2:00 PM Spinal cord stimulators: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation | Kiran Patel, MD

    • 2:15 PM ​Intrathecal drug delivery | Amitabh Gulati, MD

    • 2:30 PM Radiofrequency ablation | Gary Schwartz, MD

    • 2:45-3:30 PM: Advanced Interventional Pain Management Techniques

      • 2:45 PM: Interspinous Fusion | Jad Khalil, MD

      • 3:00 PM: Pathophysiology of Vertebrogenic Pain and Rationale for Treatment | Jad Khalil, MD

      • 3:15 PM: BVNA Techniques and Case Presentations  | Vafi Salmasi, MD, MS

  • 3:30- 4:30 PM  Industry Breakout - Attendees visit Sponsors

  • 4:30 PM  Intermission - Refreshments and Snack Break

  • 4:45 PM  Round Table Case Presentations ​

    • 4:45- 5:05 PM Biotronik Neuro Sponsored Interactive Case​

      • Topic: A 23-year-old military veteran, faced persistent and debilitating pain following cancer treatment and lymph node resection. Her pain stemmed from an injury to the intercostobrachial nerve—a rarely acknowledged source of chronic pain. Despite seeing multiple specialists and undergoing various nerve blocks, her symptoms remained unresolved. Our team took a different approach by targeting the pain centrally with a cervical spinal cord stimulator. The patient had a successful trial before relocating to Texas, and she chose to return for the permanent implant due to the trust and care she experienced with our team. Today, she continues to thrive, maintaining virtual touchpoints with our providers—demonstrating the power of continuity, compassion, and innovation in care.

      • Speaker: Siddardth Umapathy, DO | Interventional Pain Physician at US Army

    • 5:05-6:30 PM Interventional Pain Techniques

      • 5:05-5:30: Peripheral Nerve with Ultrasound | Amitabh Gulati, MD

      • 5:30-5:55: SCS Failures and Revisions | Michael Dorsi, MD

      • 5:55-6:05: Restorative Neurostimulation | Kiran Patel, MD

  • 6:05 PM Adjourn

  • 7:30 PM  Faculty Dinner & Social 

    • ​ Exclusive to Foundation Level Sponsors and Faculty

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Sunday, October 25th

• 6:30 AM  Breakfast 

• 7:20 AM Symposium Begins

  • 7:20 AM  Alumni Board Panel | Moderator: Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD​

  • 7:50-8:35 AM: Interventional Pain Management Techniques

    • 7:50 AM: Minimally Invasive Spine Procedures | Michael Dorsi, MD

    • 8:05 AM: SI Joint | Michael Dorsi, MD

    • 8:20 AM: Nerve Blocks, Epidural, steroid injections | Amitabh Gulati, MD

• ​​8:35 AM  Panel Discussion  

  • • Moderator: Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD; Kiran Patel, MD

    • Panel: Gary Schwartz, MD; Amitabh Gulati, MD, Chau Vu MD, Michael Dorsi MD,  Vafi Salmasi MD, Samir Sheth MD

      • Communication Skills for Interacting with Patients in Pain and Their Families

      • Collaboration with Other Healthcare Professionals, Including Primary Care Physicians and Specialists, to Develop Comprehensive Pain Management Plans

      • Getting Involved Externally: Societies and Industry

      • Establishing Your Reputation: Social Media, Advertising, and Outreach

    • 10:00 AM Attendee Case Presentations | Fellows and young physicians will have the opportunity to present a case to the audience and faculty panel for feedback.

  • 10:45 AM  Closing Remarks

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