Our fellows obtain well rounded training in all aspects of brain injury to help nurture a generation of skilled academicians, clinicians and researchers in the field of Brain Injury Medicine. Helping us achieve this goal is the support of one of the best rehabilitation facilities in the nation, Carolinas Rehabilitation, incorporating an excellent faculty and competent, supportive staff with exceptional clinical and research facilities. Our curriculum and rotations are designed to give the fellows ample exposure to management approaches along the spectrum of care from mild to severe injuries, acute to long term management and within both the outpatient and inpatient settings.
With exceptional clinical training and research opportunities, our Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship program offers one the opportunity to cultivate your professional aspirations. Our fellows are well-prepared to enter any practice environment and have been very successful in both private practice as well as academic settings.
Beyond the fellowship academic training, our location provides the opportunity for fellows to enjoy their time outside of the hospital. Charlotte, NC is conveniently nestled between the beach and mountains, making for easy weekend getaways. Charlotte is a southern city that has plenty of charm, great places to eat with award winning food and plenty of unique attractions. These attractions include many local museums, sporting events and an overabundance of outdoor activities including the US National Whitewater Center.
We would like to sincerely thank you for your interest in our program and look forward to meeting with you soon!"
Kelly M. Crawford, MD
Program Director
Carolinas Rehabilitation Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship
Carolinas Rehabilitation is offering a one-year ACGME fellowship in brain injury rehabilitation for a board-eligible/board-certified psychiatrist interested in developing further expertise in clinical management and research pursuits within this subspecialty. Carolinas Rehabilitation is a 192-bed, CARF-accredited rehabilitation hospital with 30 beds dedicated to brain injury. This fellowship allows for flexibility between clinical and research time and will be specifically designed to meet the candidate's interest.
Clinical opportunities include:
The clinical experience also provides time for learning opportunities with neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons located at the Level I trauma center, Carolinas Medical Center, adjacent to Carolinas Rehabilitation. Brain injury research at Carolinas Rehabilitation includes opportunities to participate in clinical trials initiated at either Carolinas Rehabilitation or Carolinas Medical Center. Interested candidates must have excellent clinical and academic credentials and be very motivated to be challenged in a dynamic clinical/research environment.
Please view our brochure (PDF) for further information on the Brain Injury Rehabilitation fellowship.
We accept applications ONLY from participants in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Please send cover letter and curriculum vitae to:
Sandra M. Watson
Residency Program Coordinator
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
1100 Blythe Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
Email: Sandra Watson
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Kelly Crawford, MD Dr. Crawford received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Exercise and Sports Science, Kinesiology and subsequent Masters Degree in Pharmacology from Tulane University. She received her medical degree from The Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Cincinnati where she served as Chief Resident. Following her residency, she completed her fellowship training in Brain Injury Medicine (including traumatic brain injury and concussion management) at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Vu Q.C. Nguyen, MD Dr. Nguyen graduated from Michigan State University and completed an internship in Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics. He served as a physician in the United States Air Force, functioning as an Emergency Medicine physician and Interim Medical Director, and later practicing Family Medicine. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to residency training at Carolinas Rehabilitation where he served as Chief Resident and subsequently joined the faculty of Carolinas Rehabilitation.
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Shanti Pinto, MD Dr. Pinto completed her medical education at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School as part of the Physician Scientist Training Program. She completed residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in 2016, where she received the Excellence in Brain Injury Medicine award. Dr. Pinto then completed fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at UPMC in 2017. She has presented at numerous national conferences and received the Best Paper Award for current fellows at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in 2017 for her presentation entitled “Cost-Efficacy Analysis of Routine Venous Doppler Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Deep Venous Thrombosis at Admission to Inpatient Rehabilitation” and in 2020 for faculty physicians for the presentation “Mild Traumatic Brain Injury is Associated with Increased Dual Task Cost During Ambulation.” She is principal investigator of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems follow-up site at Carolinas Rehabilitation. Her research interests include functional mobility following TBI, and she received the Richard S. Materson ERF New Investigator Research Grant Application from the Foundation for PM&R to validate the Electronically Augmented Timed Up and Go Test (EATUG) in adults with TBI. She serves on the program committee of the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP). She is an active member of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), participating in the Disorders of Consciousness, Chronic Brain Injury, and Prognosis task forces of the Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (BI-ISIG) and the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification Networking Group. During her spare time, Dr. Pinto enjoys teaching her dog new tricks, running on the trails at the US National Whitewater Center, traveling, and trying new food in Charlotte.
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Sima Desai, MD Dr. Sima Desai received her undergraduate degree from Emory University, subsequently received her masters degree in Pharmacology from Tulane University and her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. She completed an Internal Medicine internship at Flushing Medical Center and residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Tufts Medical Center where she served as Associate Chief Resident. Following residency, she completed a fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Dr. Desai is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the North American Brain Injury Society. Her clinical interests include traumatic brain injury, stroke, neurorehabilitation and spasticity.
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Tobias Tsai, MD Dr. Tsai received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his internship at University of Rochester and his residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Tsai is nationally recognized as a leader in Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, providing comprehensive services for children of all ages who have experienced a debilitating illness or injury. His clinical interests include cerebral palsy and brain injury. Dr. Tsai has presented at national and international medical conferences and is a member of many pediatric and rehabilitation medical organizations. Dr. Tsai is married and has a son and daughter and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
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Wendy Contreras, MD, Brain Injury Fellow Residency: Beaumont Taylor Hospital, Taylor, Michigan "Welcome to the brain injury medicine fellowship program here at Carolinas Rehabilitation! The fellowship program is ACGME-accredited and is conveniently located on the main campus of Atrium Health Charlotte, a Level I trauma center. As a fellow, I had exposure to a wide array of brain injury patients, both in the inpatient and outpatient settings. There were ample opportunities to pursue additional interests such as spasticity management, concussion management, neuropsychology, movement disorders, hydrocephalus clinic, neuroradiology and more. In addition, I was able to assist in management of patients enrolled in the emerging response program for the most severe types of TBI. I had the privilege of working with a highly-skilled and compassionate group of attending physicians. They did an excellent job teaching me the knowledge and skills I came here to develop, and I truly consider them lifelong mentors. It is also worth noting that the city itself is a great place to live. Charlotte is a diverse, multicultural city with plenty of things to do and a climate that allows for year-round outdoor activities.
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Kyle Aman, MD Medical School: American University of Antigua |
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Megan Franz, MD Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine |
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Tara Chilakamarri, MD Medical School: University of Missouri |
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Nisha M. Patel, MD Medical School: Akademia Medyczna, Lublin, Poland |
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Gemayaret Alvarez-Gonzalez, MD Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine |
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Andrew Dennison, MD Medical School: University of Pennsylvania |
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Gemayaret Alvarez-Gonzalez, MD Medical School: University of Rochester |
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Gemayaret Alvarez-Gonzalez, MD Medical School: Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann School of Medicine |
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