hello all. im an MS3 finishing up my IM rotation. im interested in PM&R, and am trying to schedule my electives. can you recommend an elective or two that would prepare me for my rotation in PM&R. i really want to shine in this one, b/c it is where i want to do residency. any suggestions? thank you.
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electives that complement PM&R
Started by spitfire5454
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Ortho, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Social Worker
I've done 3 rotations in PM&R so far. Some (actually too many) of the residents I've met said that they wanted to do Orthopedic Surgery, but did PM&R instead because they didn't like the lifestyle/had lower board scores/tried to match but couldn't/etc. As pathetic as that is (especially since some of these folks are at a top 10 program), it's gotta suck because in my - admittedly limited - experience PM&R has zero in common with Orthopedic Surgery. You don't even see that many post-Orthopedic Surgery patients, since the PT for most of their procedures is so well defined on an outpatient basis. I was once on a General Rehab/Ortho service, and I think we saw maybe 3 post-orthopedic surgery patients the entire month. 😴
Inpatient - yes. Few ortho patients need inpatient rehab - insurances don't allow for it and the 75% rule deters it. Those that do get admitted are only for a few days, unless they were a multi-trauma.
Outpatient - quite the opposite. We complement and/or compete with ortho extensively. Joint and muscle problems, neuro (ortho's do a lot of nerve releases e.g. CTS) are seen by us both. That's what makes us such a good match for an ortho clinic - we handle the non-op problems, they get more OR time.
Just wait for your outpatient rotations and you'll see.
When I was a med student, I did PM&R first (still got as glowing LOR) then ortho, neuro, sports med then a PM&R rotation at an outside facility (I was at U of Ill, did that one at Marionjoy). Wish I had done rheum but I did that as an intern.
I think a 1 year rotation in social work should be mandatory
Good one! I did that as an intern too - very helpful.
On our SCI rotation, we occasionally had urology residents do a month with us. That was our toughest rotation, their vacation one...
Uselss for inpatient, invaluable for musculoskeletal, pain, sports, my practice...
Ortho, neurol, neurosurg, would all be useful experiences prior to a pmr elective, particularly if the physiatry elective does not specify a subspecialization.
Depending upon your perspective, one of the nice things about our field is that most prior medical educational experience has some potential utility in physiatry.
Depending upon your perspective, one of the nice things about our field is that most prior medical educational experience has some potential utility in physiatry.
I have seen a few s/p laminectomy patients with acute rehab needs, so there are some ortho spine cases there. Otherwise, just the occasional bilateral hip or knee.
