- Joined
- Aug 21, 2006
- Messages
- 1,137
- Reaction score
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Alright guys. I just went through this whole interview/match process and wished someone had done this before. So here goes. This PS is by no means excellent but is at least an example from someone who got a PMR residency spot this year. Hopefully more people will follow suit and post their PS's too.
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My life experiences, educational background and interests in musculoskeletal physiology and pathology make choosing Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) as a career an easy choice.
Osgood-Schlatter (OS) disease was the beginning of my journey toward a career in PM&R. As a 9 year old soccer player I began experiencing right knee pain that was soon diagnosed as OS and treated by a family doctor with a knee brace. This condition was severe enough to halt my soccer dreams and unfortunately wasn't treated with stretches and physical rehab that it needed. My experience shows how a simple musculoskeletal condition can change a person's path in life.
The small southern Ohio town I lived in as a child was without a medical doctor, but instead had a chiropractor that was the town's respected healthcare professional. His integrated approach to healthcare and sports medicine focus influenced my decision to pursue a career in chiropractic. I selected a chiropractic school that had a strong focus on physical rehabilitation and taught spinal manipulation as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. This school was very medically oriented and encouraged integration with the allopathic world.
Following chiropractic school graduation I spent a year setting up an integrated medical clinic whose sole focus was on the multidisciplinary approach of treating musculoskeletal outpatient conditions. During that time, we had purchased an x-ray machine and I decided to be the first subject. After developing the AP lumbar view and slapping it up on the viewbox I was shocked to see that my L5 spinous process wasn't fused a local radiologist confirmed spina bifida occulta. I had an episode of severe low back pain a year earlier during the more grueling studious times of chiropractic school that left me unable to perform my normal activities of daily living. This happened again in medical school after which I was smart enough to rehab myself to prevent this in the future. Although short in duration, these two episodes that left me in extreme pain and somewhat debilitated have allowed me to empathize with patients with musculoskeletal pain and inabilities to perform activities of daily living. On a very small scale, I know what it's like and I want to help patients regain functional control and normalcy in their lives.
What appeals to me the most about physical medicine and rehabilitation is the teamwork approach to patient care - no one person can know all and do all. I'm smart enough to know what I know, and to know what I don't know; and humble enough to ask for help when needed. That's an important attribute in a doctor, as what's most important is the patient's care, not the doctor's ego.
My aspirations are to be a team leader in a multidisciplinary PM&R clinic that integrates physiatry, chiropractic, physical therapy, massage therapy and acupuncture. With that said, I believe it would be foolish to race toward that goal without checking out other possibilities. I'm not ruling out the prospect of a pain management fellowship or an academic career. I look forward to possibly beginning this career in PM&R at your program.
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My life experiences, educational background and interests in musculoskeletal physiology and pathology make choosing Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) as a career an easy choice.
Osgood-Schlatter (OS) disease was the beginning of my journey toward a career in PM&R. As a 9 year old soccer player I began experiencing right knee pain that was soon diagnosed as OS and treated by a family doctor with a knee brace. This condition was severe enough to halt my soccer dreams and unfortunately wasn't treated with stretches and physical rehab that it needed. My experience shows how a simple musculoskeletal condition can change a person's path in life.
The small southern Ohio town I lived in as a child was without a medical doctor, but instead had a chiropractor that was the town's respected healthcare professional. His integrated approach to healthcare and sports medicine focus influenced my decision to pursue a career in chiropractic. I selected a chiropractic school that had a strong focus on physical rehabilitation and taught spinal manipulation as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. This school was very medically oriented and encouraged integration with the allopathic world.
Following chiropractic school graduation I spent a year setting up an integrated medical clinic whose sole focus was on the multidisciplinary approach of treating musculoskeletal outpatient conditions. During that time, we had purchased an x-ray machine and I decided to be the first subject. After developing the AP lumbar view and slapping it up on the viewbox I was shocked to see that my L5 spinous process wasn't fused a local radiologist confirmed spina bifida occulta. I had an episode of severe low back pain a year earlier during the more grueling studious times of chiropractic school that left me unable to perform my normal activities of daily living. This happened again in medical school after which I was smart enough to rehab myself to prevent this in the future. Although short in duration, these two episodes that left me in extreme pain and somewhat debilitated have allowed me to empathize with patients with musculoskeletal pain and inabilities to perform activities of daily living. On a very small scale, I know what it's like and I want to help patients regain functional control and normalcy in their lives.
What appeals to me the most about physical medicine and rehabilitation is the teamwork approach to patient care - no one person can know all and do all. I'm smart enough to know what I know, and to know what I don't know; and humble enough to ask for help when needed. That's an important attribute in a doctor, as what's most important is the patient's care, not the doctor's ego.
My aspirations are to be a team leader in a multidisciplinary PM&R clinic that integrates physiatry, chiropractic, physical therapy, massage therapy and acupuncture. With that said, I believe it would be foolish to race toward that goal without checking out other possibilities. I'm not ruling out the prospect of a pain management fellowship or an academic career. I look forward to possibly beginning this career in PM&R at your program.
