Starting a PM&R Interest Group

[MSKalltheway]

So, I think up to this point, I have a pretty good idea what PM&R is all about--from a student's perspective at least. My school actually doesn't have a PM&R interest group...we don't even have a department. And of course, I have to go through my scripted spiel about PM&R whenever I'm asked about what specialty I think I want to go into and honestly I get a bit sick of explaining it. Sound familiar much?

Anyways, I figure that on my end, I can help to cure the lack of knowledge at my school by starting an interest group, giving lunchtime talks with food (or dinnertime "procedure nights"...food also of course!) and collaborate with other interest groups (like ortho and neuro) to give more of an idea of the breadth of the field. My question to you all is, as speakers, what would you like to tell med students about the field if I asked you to speak? What lectures would you think to be most pertinent? Any ideas as to what would be most high yield at this point to at least get people to understand the field better (and at least refer out to PM&R in practice)? Also, would any of the ideas I mentioned work? I'm open to any ideas/suggestions!

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[Disciple]

Lunchtime talks are good. You want to do these lectures when people are already physically at the school.

I would start with the "Plenty of Money and Relaxation" joke. The first goal is to get people's attention.

After that you can go over a historical overview of PM&R. How it started (what we did back then) up to what it is and what we do in 2007. End with "future perspectives" or something like that. The lecture should not last much longer than it takes people to eat the pizza you provided. Otherwise they will get bored and leave. 30-40 minutes tops.

The other thing you can do is to arrange elective PM&R rotations for your curriculum. You want to make sure that these rotations provide broad exposure so students don't get the wrong idea about what PM&R is or is not. (i.e. you don't want the student on the inpatient unit all day, nor do you want him/her sitting and watching someone do 8 EMGs in a row).


Hope that helps.

 

[axm397]

great ideas! There are a few people on this board who started their own interest groups at their med schools - so do a search on the forum and see if u can pm them. I think taus was involved w his interest group.

In the baltimore area, you have Sinai Baltimore program, Walter Reed, and Hopkins. Can look up attending and resident physicians from those programs to see if they would be willing to come talk to the students. I also have contacts in your area so if u need help, pm me.

you can also go to your alumni association office and see if there are any alums from your school who went into PM&R. I know I was surprised to find out the Dr. Pauza (did IDET studies) went to my med school. Many alums still have family and friends in the area and may be able to come lecture.

both the AAP and the AAPM&R have online resources geared towards students.
AAPM&R slide presentation: http://aapmr.org/condtreat/slides2/sld001.htm
AAP's slide presentation: http://www.physiatry.org/Education_2005_what_is.cfm

this is also pretty good: http://aapmr.org/medstu/medstuda.htm

hope this helps.

 

[MSKalltheway]

All that helps a bunch, thank you both! Another plug for possible ideas...I plan on doing some community service events as well. I got the Special Olympics on my list, but are there any other organizations or events I could possibly bug to get a group of med students to volunteer for?

 

[DOctorJay]

paralympics would be more relevant to pm&r than special olympics, and look for wheel chair sports groups.

sponsor a movie night and show "Murderball".

you're close to walter reed, get a group together and visit the soldiers who have lost limbs and spend some time with them in therapies etc.

 

[MSKalltheway]

paralympics would be more relevant to pm&r than special olympics, and look for wheel chair sports groups.

sponsor a movie night and show "Murderball".

you're close to walter reed, get a group together and visit the soldiers who have lost limbs and spend some time with them in therapies etc.

Good stuff! The paralympics has swimming championships at UMD-College Park in dec., any excuse to go back to my Alma Mater!

 

[ampaphb]

All that helps a bunch, thank you both! Another plug for possible ideas...I plan on doing some community service events as well. I got the Special Olympics on my list, but are there any other organizations or events I could possibly bug to get a group of med students to volunteer for?

One of the nicest, and best trained pain guys in the country is at UMD - you might want to give him a call

http://www.worldmedics.com/dr/amitbhargava/index.htm

 

[drvlad2004]

One of the nicest, and best trained pain guys in the country is at UMD - you might want to give him a call

http://www.worldmedics.com/dr/amitbhargava/index.htm

I am a volunteer assistant coach for the Long Island Wheelchair Basketball Association Junior and Prep team. They travel all over the US to compete. One of their biggest rivals happen to be Bennett Blazers team at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. You should contact them if you would like to volunteer your time. It is so amazing what wheelchair basketball athletes do. It has sparked my interest in working more with disabled athletes.

 

[drvlad2004]

All that helps a bunch, thank you both! Another plug for possible ideas...I plan on doing some community service events as well. I got the Special Olympics on my list, but are there any other organizations or events I could possibly bug to get a group of med students to volunteer for?

I am a volunteer assistant coach for the Long Island Wheelchair Basketball Association Junior and Prep team. They travel all over the US to compete. One of their biggest rivals happen to be Bennett Blazers team at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. You should contact them if you would like to volunteer your time. It is so amazing what wheelchair basketball athletes do. It has sparked my interest in working more with disabled athletes.

 

[jonnylingo]

All that helps a bunch, thank you both! Another plug for possible ideas...I plan on doing some community service events as well. I got the Special Olympics on my list, but are there any other organizations or events I could possibly bug to get a group of med students to volunteer for?

There is a National Brain Injury Association as well as State branches. members of University of Utah's SOM Interest Group in Physiatry hooked up with The BIA of Utah and taught helmet safety at local elementray schools and helped with fundraisers, etc. Check out the BIA in Maryland.