Do you think that PM&R residencies are too long, to short or just right?

carlosc1dbz · May 21, 2010

What was your experience with the length of your residency? Do you think it could of been cut down, or maybe you felt that you needed another year? Maybe it was perfect. What do people that have gone through the residency think?

PMR 4 MSK · May 23, 2010

carlosc1dbz said:
What was your experience with the length of your residency? Do you think it could of been cut down, or maybe you felt that you needed another year? Maybe it was perfect. What do people that have gone through the residency think?

Given the way PM&R has changed, I felt that 1.5 years of pure inpatient rehab (general, SCI, TBI, etc.) was too much, but I know that we are there to help pay the bills as much as be educated. Definitely more outpt was/is needed.

nleeds24 · May 24, 2010

PMR 4 MSK said:
Given the way PM&R has changed, I felt that 1.5 years of pure inpatient rehab (general, SCI, TBI, etc.) was too much, but I know that we are there to help pay the bills as much as be educated. Definitely more outpt was/is needed.

I agree 1.5 yrs of pure inpt is too long from residents perspective. But since they need the cheap labor I say extend it to 4 yrs with a focus on actually learning procedures: spine procedures under fluoro, regional nerve blocks, botox injections, ultrasound guided procedures, as well as becoming experts on reading msk images, orthotics, casting.

Some of those things are covered in most spine fellowships but not to the nth degree. This way we could eliminate the need for msk/spine/sports fellowships completely while doing a much more comprehensive job. PM&R should absolutely own non-operative msk/electrodiagnostic/peripheral nerve disorder care completely. Right now its done piecemeal by neurology, anethesiology and physiatry. This needs to end now.

carlosc1dbz · May 24, 2010

I dont get it, regardless of the number of years, they will always have enough residents because new ones come in year after year, right?

nleeds24 · May 24, 2010

carlosc1dbz said:
I dont get it, regardless of the number of years, they will always have enough residents because new ones come in year after year, right?

Yes. Its a matter of making sure the graduates are well trained across the board.

SSdoc33 · May 24, 2010

not too long. not too short. not too good, either.

improve the quality and the length is fine. if you can learn internal medicine in 3 years, you can learn PMR in 4

topwise · May 24, 2010

I honestly felt like I needed more outpt msk by the end of my residency. There just wasn't time in three years to teach everything. I think that's why so many physiatrists who aren't doing inpt end up doing a fellowship.

Disciple · May 25, 2010

carlosc1dbz said:
I dont get it, regardless of the number of years, they will always have enough residents because new ones come in year after year, right?

It's like this,

When you're a PGY-1 (intern) in IM you get scutted around on the inpt unit for a whole year, take lots of call, etc. and then mostly "supervise", prepare to apply for your subspecialty fellowship or concentrate on continuity clinic (for primary care) during your 2nd and 3rd years.

In PM&R (some programs), it's like you're an intern for 2.5-3 years before you move on to your outpt training, which has the potential to be very limited and superficial, depending on what program you train at.

latinman · May 30, 2010

Agree with Disciple. PM&R outpt training can be very superficial and mediocre in some programs. That is the reason I am pursuing a fellowship. I think that Inpt was emphasized too heavily for the first 2.5-3 years in the program I went to. Despite the fact that I scored good in my SAE test this year, the MSK score component in my case was subpar.

fozzy40 · May 19, 2011

bump...thought this was an interesting question

Do you think that PM&R residencies are too long, to short or just right?

carlosc1dbz

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PMR 4 MSK

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nleeds24

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carlosc1dbz

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nleeds24

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SSdoc33

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topwise

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Disciple

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latinman

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fozzy40

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