I am posting this reply regarding the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program's academic curriculum. In brief, I have used scutwork.com numerous times since medical school (and while applying for fellowship) and can state that it is one of the most useful resources available.
The academic curriculum at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical school's PM&R program is approximately 18 month's worth of didactics that encompass all areas of physiatry. Didactics will change somewhat with each academic chief resident in regards to speakers and the "timing" of the sequence of lectures. When I interviewed for residency (at approximately 12 programs) I felt that the UMDNJ/Kessler curriculum was the most structured and comprehensive in the country. This was confirmed during my experience as a resident, and certainly fulfilling while serving as academic chief resident. The number of physiatrists available to teach is striking, as is evident in the Kessler board review course.
In regards to the "Kessler" curriculum, a common misconception is that Kessler is the only place we train while in residency. While it is our primary teaching site, it serves as the site where residents receive approximately 30% of clinical training. It is also where didactics are held, and the Kessler Medical Rehabiliation Research Corporation (KMRREC) is currently located. Kessler is certainly one of the premiere acute rehabiliation hospitals in the country, and teaching attendings from this institution are predominantly inpatient focused.
The training and teaching I received in outpatient rehabilitation medicine (musculoskeletal, sports, electrodiagnostics, neuromuscular, interventional spine) at the other training sites was outstanding. The base knowledge and clinical skills in musculoskeletal medicine acquired as a resident in our program is significant. As rehab sports dr implied, the other advantage in having a wide variety of clinical sites is that each resident can essentially "customize" their own schedules. (some may want more inpatient than outpatient and vice versa)
I hope this helps those of you applying for residency. In my opinion, rehabiliation medicine is an evolving field and one should strive to be exposed to as many subspecialities in physiatry as possible. There are many programs that can serve this purpose, and UMDNJ/Kessler is certainly one of them!
