Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation!

[dtrain5]

I am very interested in PM&R but feel that I have little knowledge about the subject. I was wondering how competitive the residency positions are to get?Are there any D.O. residency programs, and if so where? I am assuming that I am going to need to take the USMLE also? I would also like to hear anybodies experience with shadowing a PM&R doc. I have not done any PM&R shadowing, and if I do, from looking through the directories in my area, it will probably be an MD.

Thanks

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[Orthodoc40]

Try the residency forums.

 

[vmgopal]

my dad is in PM&R...(but he's not a D.O. b/c he is from India) some of it is similar to neurology. They do Electromyography (EMG)/ nerve conduction tests, and disability evaluations. Also they work closely with internists who refer patients and Orthopedic surgeons who refer theie patients for post-operative care. Pf course they work side by side with therapists to recommend therapy for patients in the unit.

I know of people who went to DMU and got MD PM&R residencies at University of Wisconisn by just taking the COMLEX. And WISC is an excellent place to do residency. Infact they selected a majority of DOs for their residency program. see their site:
http://www.orthorehab.wisc.edu/rehab/residents/current.shtml
For some reason its not that popular b/c its not very flashy..but it is a specialist and they make more then family prac/internal med. Also it is very much a 9-5 sort of job, with very little emergencies, you will never go in in the middle of the night probably. So its very attractive in its own way! Good luck

 

[dtrain5]

my dad is in PM&R...(but he's not a D.O. b/c he is from India) some of it is similar to neurology. They do Electromyography (EMG)/ nerve conduction tests, and disability evaluations. Also they work closely with internists who refer patients and Orthopedic surgeons who refer theie patients for post-operative care. Pf course they work side by side with therapists to recommend therapy for patients in the unit.

I know of people who went to DMU and got MD PM&R residencies at University of Wisconisn by just taking the COMLEX. And WISC is an excellent place to do residency. Infact they selected a majority of DOs for their residency program. see their site:
http://www.orthorehab.wisc.edu/rehab/residents/current.shtml
For some reason its not that popular b/c its not very flashy..but it is a specialist and they make more then family prac/internal med. Also it is very much a 9-5 sort of job, with very little emergencies, you will never go in in the middle of the night probably. So its very attractive in its own way! Good luck

Thank you for the information is was quite helpful!

 

[Taus]

Head down to the PM&R forum at the bottom of the main page....the FAQ sections will give you all the answers you are looking for. Also, check out www.aapmr.org for plenty of info. I did a 2 month externship program in it this summer (b/w M1-M2) and loved it. There is so much variety within the field...you can be medically managing and coordinating the inpatient rehab of people with major impairments such as strokes, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, complicated orthopedic injuries, etc. You can also work in more of an outpatient setting doing sports medicine, pain medicine, minimally invasive spine care, disability evals, prosthetics and orthotics, electromyography, spasticity management and much more.

For DO's, there are only 2 or 3 DO only programs....HOWEVER.... 17% of all residents in MD PM&R residencies are DO's and considering that only 5% of all Docs are DO's....there are proportionately more DO's in PM&R then MD's. The program I was at this summer has been ranked the best rehab hospital in the country for the past 10 years and the program director and chief residents were both DO's, as well as at least 20% of the residents. That should quiet any concerns about that aspect.