Hi guys. I was wondering if anyone knew of a place that allows visiting students to do a 3rd year PM&R elective rotation. I called a lot of places with no luck so far. I'm really interested in PM&R and want early exposure, but I can't find a place that will take me. Any suggestions? Are there any private practice PM&R rotations since I can't find an academic one? Any help would be great. Thank!
3rd year rotation?
- Thread starter hchang9
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I had trouble too as a 3rd year finding a rotation. In the end a talked to an attending I had met previously from a rehab hospital/residency and he said I should just come and he would sign my schools papers. So I didn't apply through the university hospital system.
That may not work everywhere. Also since it wasn't completely official, I'm not sure how much it helped my application to that program, but it was my first real experience and I only did 2 weeks there so I think it was worth it.
If you don't find any hospitals or programs I would connect up with a private practice doc. Some people like to cut their teeth like that before rotating at your dream program anyway.
That may not work everywhere. Also since it wasn't completely official, I'm not sure how much it helped my application to that program, but it was my first real experience and I only did 2 weeks there so I think it was worth it.
If you don't find any hospitals or programs I would connect up with a private practice doc. Some people like to cut their teeth like that before rotating at your dream program anyway.
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I believe JFK in Edison, NJ, offers PM&R electives to 3rd year medical students:
https://www.jfkmc.org/clinical-serv.../residency/three-year-and-four-year-electives
JFK has a strong reputation in rehab. Also, the program director, Dr. Cuccurullo, is the editor and co-author of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Board Review textbook--she struck me as being very passionate about education when I interviewed there.
There are other institutions that offer PM&R electives to 3rd year students (like Stanford and Indiana, I believe), but you shouldn't have to move out of the NYC area and pay lots of money just to get your first PM&R rotation.
Consider contacting residency program coordinators to see if they might be able to set something up (as a heads-up, some of the e-mail addresses don't correspond to the coordinators):
http://www.physiatry.org/?page=coordinators
You could also try this listing of PM&R clerkships (some of it is outdated, however)...
http://www.physiatry.org/?page=clerkships
And maybe see what's available on VSAS and contact the programs you're interested in.
At my medical school we have the freedom to set up self-designed electives. Since my school does not have its own PM&R department or residency program, I wanted to get some good exposure before doing my away/audition rotations. I set up my first PM&R rotation at a private pediatric hospital that was associated with a PM&R residency program. From this rotation, I also got my PM&R letter of recommendation and it was the only PM&R letter I needed to receive my interview invites. Previous students from my school also successfully set up self-designed electives working with outpatient PM&R docs in pain & MSK.
So, if your school allows you to set up your own electives, it's definitely an avenue to pursue. Maybe you could contact previous graduates or 4th year students at your school to see what they were able to set up or who you might be able to contact.
And since you're interested in getting some early PM&R exposure and learning more about the field, you might consider a membership with the AAPM&R--it's free as a med student (if you don't care to pay the $40 for the journal subscription) and you can throw it into the professional societies section of your ERAS application). http://www.aapmr.org/about/join/Pages/default.aspx
As fair warning, you will get occasional postal mail about PM&R education, conferences, newsletters, etc. ; )
Thanks for the reply. I tried contacting JFK a week or so ago. The PM&R department said they took 3rd year students but everything is handled by the registration office. The registration office told me only their own students can do a 3rd year rotation at JFK. I also contacted Stanford, Cornell, NYU, Mt Sinai, Nassau, SUNY Downstate, UAB, Penn State Hershey, Long Beach Medical Center, UMass, and UPMC. No luck at any of these places. Stanford was the only place that entertained the idea of letting me do a rotation with them, but were already filled with their own students. All the places on physiatry.org that indicates 3rd year clerkships did not actually allow 3rd year visiting students. A bit disappointing. So I'm on the brink of giving up on doing a rotation with a program with a residency. I'll try contacting Indiana like you mentioned. I'd prefer not to spend as much money on travel and stay in NYC area, but I'll take the hit if it means getting some good exposure.
My program does let me to set up my own electives but I dont know what the process is. Do I contact any rehab center and ask if I can do a rotation with them?
I did join AAPM&R about a week ago as well.
Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.
My program does let me to set up my own electives but I dont know what the process is. Do I contact any rehab center and ask if I can do a rotation with them?
I did join AAPM&R about a week ago as well.
Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.
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I am also looking for a 3rd year PM&R rotation spot and haven't found anything. I tried almost all the hospitals with residency programs in the Northeast.
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Really? That seems strange. Philly, Boston or NYC schools should have some openings. Could also try UPMC and Ohio State if distance isn't a big deal.
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I did a third year rotation with a local doc who is an incredible mentor and wrote me a great LOR. I'm not surprised you're having no luck with the academic programs. Look for a physiatrist in your area - I know you don't have a PMR dept, but do you at least have a student interest group? They should have some connections to community physiatrists happy to help a student interested in the field. Main thing to look for is someone who does general physiatry as opposed to someone highly-sub specialized so that you can get a broader exposure. Good luck!
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Oh and if you don't have a PMR interest group already - help start one! Will be of great help to future classes, and a great thing to discuss on interviews.
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Why do you want to take a rotation in 3rd year? Also can you not schedule a rotation bc you are trying to do so in your 3rd year, or period?
Tons of places have rotations. Have you tried Spaulding? Schwab? Baylor? Etc etc etc
I want to do a 3rd year rotation to get early exposure. Most places I checked out don't allow 3rd year students to do away rotations. I've tried the places I mentioned in a previous post and more (probably 20+ programs). Other places specifically state that they don't take 3rd year rotating students on their website so I didn't bother at all. But that's all in the past now. I found some osteopathic places that are willing to take me in.
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Care to share which ones? If not publicly then you can IM me. Setting up rotations now and a PM&R would fit nice at the end of my third year. Thanks!
