Formal Educational and Training Opportunities of Pain Medicine in India
An ISSP Educational Resource for Aspiring Pain Physicians
Pain Medicine is an evolving and increasingly structured specialty in India. Over the last several decades, India has developed a growing number of formal educational and training pathways for doctors wishing to pursue a career in Pain Medicine.
These include:
- DM – Pain Medicine
- FNB – Pain Medicine under NBEMS | Website
- Fellowships and Post-Doctoral Fellowships at Institutes of National Importance (INIs)
- PDCC / PDF programs at government and public institutions
- University-affiliated and university-approved fellowship programs
- FIAPM – Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Pain Medicine, conducted through IAPM-accredited centres
The Indian Society for Study of Pain (ISSP) strongly encourages doctors aspiring to become Pain Physicians to undertake formal, structured and supervised training with adequate clinical and procedural exposure.
I. NMC / STATUTORY FORMAL SUPER-SPECIALTY PATHWAYS
A. DM – PAIN MEDICINE
Duration: 3 years
The DM in Pain Medicine is a formal super-specialty training pathway offered through eligible Institutes of National Importance.
About DM Training
DM Pain Medicine provides comprehensive super-specialty training covering:
- Comprehensive pain assessment
- Acute and chronic pain management
- Cancer pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Musculoskeletal and spinal pain
- Interventional Pain Medicine
- Image-guided procedures
- Neuromodulation
- Multidisciplinary pain management
- Research and academic Pain Medicine
Admission, seat availability and recognition status should always be verified from the latest NMC/INI and institutional notifications.
II. FNB – PAIN MEDICINE
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) | NBEMS Website
Duration: 2 years
Awarding body: National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)
Admission: Fellowship Entrance Test (FET) | NBEMS Website
FNB Pain Medicine is a nationally standardized postgraduate fellowship pathway conducted by NBEMS.
NBEMS periodically revises accreditation criteria for FNB Pain Medicine. The current 2026 accreditation process includes specific requirements for institutions seeking accreditation in FNB Pain Medicine. | Website
FNB Pain Medicine Training Centres
The following centres have offered/been accredited for FNB Pain Medicine:
| S.No. | Centre | Website |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Superspeciality Medical Institute, Chennai | Website |
| 2. | Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi | Website |
| 3. | South-Eastern Railway Hospital, Kolkata | Website |
| 4. | Apollo Hospital, Chennai | Website |
| 5. | Jagjivan Ram Railway Hospital, Mumbai | Website |
| 6. | GSVM Medical College, Kanpur | Website |
| 7. | Dr. RMLIMS, Lucknow | Website |
FNB Training
The two-year FNB pathway provides structured supervised training in:
- Comprehensive pain assessment
- Pharmacological management
- Interventional Pain Medicine
- Fluoroscopy- and ultrasound-guided procedures
- Spinal interventions
- Neuropathic pain
- Cancer pain
- Neuromodulation
- Multidisciplinary pain management
- Research and academic activities
Important: The current accreditation status, number of seats and participating institutions may change periodically. Candidates should verify the latest information from NBEMS before applying.
III. FORMAL PAIN MEDICINE PROGRAMS AT INSTITUTES OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE (INIs)
Several Institutes of National Importance provide structured fellowship-level training in Pain Medicine.
&These programs should be distinguished from DM super-specialty qualifications: the institution may be an INI, while the individual fellowship is an institutional fellowship/post-doctoral program.
IV. GOVERNMENT / PUBLIC UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS
V. UNIVERSITY-AFFILIATED / UNIVERSITY-APPROVED PROGRAMS
A. MUHS-Affiliated Centres – Fellowship in Chronic Pain Medicine
The following institutions have been associated with Fellowship training in Chronic Pain Medicine under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS):
| S.No. | Centre | Website |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | KEM Hospital, Mumbai – 2 seats | Website |
| 2. |
Ashirwad Institute, Mumbai – 2 seats |
|
| 3. | Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai – 2 seats | Website |
| 4. | BJ Medical College & Sassoon General Hospital, Pune – 2 seats | Website |
Note: Affiliation, number of seats and admission status should be verified from the latest MUHS notification.
B. Other University-Affiliated / University-Approved Programs
VI. FIAPM – FELLOWSHIP OF THE INDIAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MEDICINE
The Dedicated National Fellowship Pathway in Pain Medicine
The Indian Academy of Pain Medicine (IAPM) is the academic and training arm associated with the Indian Society for Study of Pain (ISSP).
The Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Pain Medicine (FIAPM) is a structured one-year full-time fellowship in Pain Medicine, conducted at IAPM-accredited training centres across India.
Duration
12 months / 1 year
Entry
Admission is through the IAPM Fellowship Entrance Examination.
The current 2026 examination manual provides for counselling and centre allocation according to merit and candidate preference.
Training
The FIAPM curriculum provides structured exposure to:
- Comprehensive pain assessment
- Acute Pain Medicine
- Chronic Pain Medicine
- Cancer pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Pharmacological management
- Interventional Pain Medicine
- Minimally Invasive Pain & Spine Interventions (MIPSIs)
- Neuromodulation
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Psychological and behavioural approaches
- Palliative care
- Multidisciplinary pain management
- Research methodology
- Academic presentations and journal clubs
The revised FIAPM accreditation criteria emphasize multidisciplinary care and broad exposure to pharmacotherapy, MIPSIs, interventional procedures, neuromodulation, rehabilitation, psychological/behavioural therapy and palliative care.
Assessment
FIAPM includes:
- Structured training
- Periodic trainee assessment
- Academic activities
- Clinical/procedural exposure
IAPM Fellowship Exit Examination
VII. CURRENT FIAPM ACCREDITED TRAINING CENTRES
FIAPM training is conducted only at IAPM-accredited centres.
The current IAPM 2026 Entry Examination Manual states that fellowship training is conducted at IAPM-accredited centres across India and that the detailed centre list, including seats, is published separately.
Current 2026 Centre List
The latest July 2026 FIAPM Accredited Centre List should be displayed/linked here: (Centre names with identified official websites are clickable.)
The list of accredited centres, number of seats and accreditation status is subject to periodic revision by IAPM. Candidates should refer to the latest list published on the official ISSP/IAPM website before applying.
ISSP currently provides dedicated links for:
- FIAPM Entry Examination
- FIAPM Exit Examination
- FIAPM Curriculum
- IAPM Accreditation Criteria
- Accreditation Process for FIAPM Training Centres
- Accredited Centres
- Trainee Assessment
- IAPM Alumni
These resources are available through the ISSP website.
VIII. COMPARATIVE OVERVIEW OF FORMAL TRAINING PATHWAYS
| Pathway | Duration | Nature of training | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM – Pain Medicine | 3 years | Super-specialty training | Applicable INI / super-specialty admission process |
| FNB – Pain Medicine | 2 years | NBEMS structured fellowship | FET |
| FIAPM | 1 year | IAPM-accredited structured fellowship | IAPM Entry Examination |
| INI Fellowship / PDF | Usually, 1 year | Institutional fellowship | Institute-specific |
| PDCC – Pain Medicine / Pain Management | Usually, 1 year | Institutional / university program | Institute-specific |
| PDF – Pain Medicine | Usually, 1 year | Institutional post-doctoral fellowship | Institute-specific |
| University Fellowship | Usually, 1 year | University/institution-specific | Institute-specific |
| Column 1 Value 8 | Column 2 Value 8 | Column 3 Value 8 | Column 4 Value 8 |
IX. UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT TRAINING PATHWAYS
DM – Pain Medicine
The DM represents the most extensive formal super-specialty pathway, with three years of dedicated training.
It is particularly suitable for doctors seeking a long-term academic, institutional and super-specialty career in Pain Medicine.
FNB – Pain Medicine
The FNB provides a two-year structured postgraduate fellowship under NBEMS.
It offers an important national pathway for doctors seeking dedicated clinical training in Pain Medicine outside the DM route.
FIAPM
The FIAPM provides a dedicated one-year structured fellowship through IAPM-accredited centres.
It is particularly valuable for doctors seeking focused formal training in Pain Medicine after postgraduate training in Anaesthesiology.
INI Fellowships / PDFs
AIIMS, JIPMER and PGIMER provide additional opportunities for focused fellowship-level training in Pain Medicine.
The exact qualification, eligibility, duration and admission process are institute-specific.
PDCC / PDF / University Fellowships
These programs provide additional opportunities for structured training, generally of one-year duration, through government institutions, universities and teaching hospitals.
Candidates should carefully evaluate:
- Duration of training
- Full-time versus part-time status
- Clinical workload
- Number of Pain Medicine patients
- Procedural exposure
- Faculty strength
- Multidisciplinary facilities
- Academic curriculum
- Research opportunities
- Formal assessment
- Certification and recognition status
XI. IMPORTANCE OF FORMAL TRAINING
ISSP believes that formal training in Pain Medicine should extend substantially beyond theoretical knowledge.
A comprehensive training program should ideally provide exposure to:
Clinical Pain Medicine
- Comprehensive pain assessment
- Pain diagnosis and phenotyping
- Chronic non-cancer pain
- Cancer pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Headache and facial pain
- Neurological pain disorders
- Paediatric and geriatric pain
- Pain in special populations
Interventional Pain Medicine
- Fluoroscopy-guided MIPSIs
- Ultrasound-guided MIPSIs
- Spinal interventions
- Peripheral nerve interventions
- Radiofrequency procedures
- Epidural and foraminal interventions
- Sacroiliac and facet interventions
- Vertebral augmentation
- Minimally Invasive Pain & Spine Interventions (MIPSIs)
- MiSepp (Minimally Invasive Spine Endoscopic Pain Procedures), where available
- Pain Biologics aka Regenerative medicine procedures, where appropriately indicated
Advanced Pain Medicine
- Neuromodulation
- Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Intrathecal drug delivery
- Cancer pain interventions
- Sympathetic MIPSIs
- Neurolytic procedures
- Advanced image-guided interventions
Multidisciplinary Pain Management
X. WHAT SHOULD A GOOD PAIN MEDICINE TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDE?
Pain Medicine is a highly specialized clinical discipline involving complex diagnosis, pharmacological management, image-guided interventions, minimally invasive procedures, neuromodulation, rehabilitation and multidisciplinary care.
Competence in Pain Medicine therefore requires:
Knowledge + Clinical Exposure + Procedural Skills + Supervised Training + Multidisciplinary Learning + Assessment
A short-term course or exclusively online program may provide useful theoretical knowledge, but it cannot substitute for comprehensive supervised clinical training where procedural competency and patient-safety skills are required.
ISSP therefore strongly encourages doctors aspiring to become Pain Physicians to pursue formal, structured and adequately supervised training in Pain Medicine.
XII. HOW TO CHOOSE A PAIN MEDICINE TRAINING PROGRAM
Prospective trainees are encouraged to assess a program on the following parameters:
- Formal recognition / accreditation
- Duration of training
- Full-time clinical commitment
- Number and diversity of pain patients
- Supervised procedural exposure
- Availability of fluoroscopy and ultrasound
- Exposure to advanced interventions
- Neuromodulation facilities
- Academic teaching and journal clubs
- Research opportunities
- Regular assessment
- Faculty experience and availability
- Longitudinal follow-up of patients
- Exposure to both interventional and non-interventional Pain Medicine
XIII. IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BETWEEN TRAINING AND RECOGNITION
Not all courses carrying the words “Pain Medicine,” “Pain Management,” “Pain Fellowship,” “PDCC” or “Certificate” have the same regulatory or academic status.
Therefore, prospective trainees should distinguish between:
Statutory / nationally regulated pathways
- DM – Pain Medicine
- FNB – Pain Medicine
Institutional fellowships
- AIIMS
- JIPMER
- PGIMER
- Other Institutes of National Importance and government institutions
University / institutional programs
- PDCC
- University-approved fellowships
IAPM-accredited fellowship
- FIAPM
The name of a course alone should not be taken as evidence of NMC recognition or equivalence to a DM/FNB qualification.
Candidates should verify the exact regulatory and academic status of the qualification before enrolment. Official institutional websites have been linked where an identifiable official website was available at the time of revision.
XIV. ISSP’S COMMITMENT TO PAIN MEDICINE EDUCATION
The Indian Society for Study of Pain is committed to promoting:
- Formal education in Pain Medicine
- Standardized training
- Competency-based education
- Patient safety
- Evidence-based Pain Medicine
- Multidisciplinary care
- Research and innovation
- Expansion of structured training opportunities across India
- Recognition and development of Pain Medicine as a distinct specialty
Through its academic and training initiatives, including the Indian Academy of Pain Medicine (IAPM) and FIAPM, ISSP continues to support the development of competent Pain Physicians in India.
DISCLAIMER
This page is intended as an educational resource providing an overview of formal educational and training opportunities in Pain Medicine in India.
Course names, accreditation status, number of seats, eligibility criteria, admission procedures, duration and availability may change periodically.
Prospective applicants should verify the latest information directly from the concerned institution, National Medical Commission (NMC), National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), Institute of National Importance, University, or IAPM/ISSP before applying. | NBEMS Website
Inclusion in this list does not by itself constitute endorsement, accreditation or equivalence by ISSP, unless specifically stated.
ISSP will endeavour to update this page periodically to reflect the evolving landscape of Pain Medicine education and training in India.