PM&R

[YM]

Hi everyone,

My first post. Hope you guys can help me. I am a 4th year thinking of applying to PM&R programs. I live in the NY/NJ area and I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the Kessler program. I heard it's excellent but I wanted to know more details. For example:
1. What is the call schedule?
2. How are the residents?
3. Is there overnight calls?
4. How easy it is to get a fellowship in pain management?
5. How is it compared to NYU and Columbia/Cornell?

Also in general about the PM&R field...I have read that their is large discrepancy between compensation in the Midwest and South (MORE) compared to the Northeast and West Coast (LESS). Is this true? If so, what can this be attributed to?

Thanks so much for all your help...

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[drusso]

Originally posted by YM:
•
Also in general about the PM&R field...I have read that their is large discrepancy between compensation in the Midwest and South (MORE) compared to the Northeast and West Coast (LESS). Is this true? If so, what can this be attributed to?

Thanks so much for all your help...

•

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[Stinky T]

YM - I interviewed there last year so I don't remember all the details.

1. I want to say q6-q8 during PGY-II, q14 during PGY-III, and no call during PGY IV.

2. The residents were awesome and really friendly. I'm trying to find their e-mails as we speak, but I may have already thrown it away.

3. Yes, there are overnight calls, but very few.

4. Kessler has its own fellowship and getting a letter from Dr. DeLisa certainly won't hurt either. The drawback is that there are NO electives and this could hurt you in getting the more prestigious fellowships.

5. Personally, I think NYU is on the decline and many of the applicants I met on the interview trail didn't even rank it (myself included). I think that the combination of the Columbia and Cornell will make for an excellent program. Plus, any kinks with the newly combined program should be worked out by the time you get there. Another plus to the Columbia/Cornell program is that they have excellent Pain Management fellowships. According to my classmate who is going to Columbia for Anesthesia, the Pain Center is jointly run by Anesthesia and PM&R. I think this would be a great opportunity to learn how different docs manage pain.

With regards to compensation, I think it really depends on what type of practice you have. Obviously, if you are doing mainly interventional pain management, you will make more than someone doing strictly inpatient rehab. I've only met one person who has applied for jobs in the Midwest and the South. This was the chief resident at San Antonio and he was offered a lot of money. The physiatrists that I know in the West Coast are doing very well for themselves. So well in fact that they really don't tell too many people. In case you are curious, I think there was a thread in the PM&R section of POL that had physiatrists discussing how much they made.

Remember that PM&R stands for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Most people (physicians and medical students included) assume that PM&R is just Rehabilitation. PM&R is a very broad field and the people who are doing very well for themselves are the people focusing on the Physical Medicine aspect of PM&R.

 

[YM]

Thanks for the response guys! Stinky if you don't mind me asking, where did you ultimately decide to go? And what were the factors influencing your decision?

YM