What are my chances at PM&R/advice

[painballer27]

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[j4pac]

Mid tier US MD here sort of late "discovering" PM&R. Step 1 pass, Step 2 248, honors all clinical rotations, no red flags. Minimal research in non-related field. Issue is that the only experience I will have in PM&R is a 2 week elective at my school that does not have a PM&R program... I have tried to get away rotations but have been unsuccessful. I did do some volunteering early on in med school with a sports medicine interest group helping at high school football games. Do I have a shot? Is there anything else I can do at this point to help me chances?

You need to get more ambitious/creative about getting more PM&R exposure. Is there a reason you can’t leave your program for a rotation?

 

[JBM16BYU]

The highest yield will be an audition at a program you are interested in. Other options would include either a virtual rotation (which I have heard of but never personally done. I cannot speak to how good of an experience this is or is not) or reaching out to PM&R physicians in the community to rotate with. I would try and get experience with both inpatient (either inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, long-term acute care facility) and outpatient (either general outpatient PM&R, interventional pain, sports-trained PM&R in maybe an orthopedics group, or interventional spine). I know I am missing other aspects of PM&R (amputee rehab, cancer rehab, pediatric rehab, etc.) but these things may just be harder to find. I agree with the above, you need exposure to know this is what you want.

 

[painballer27]

The highest yield will be an audition at a program you are interested in. Other options would include either a virtual rotation (which I have heard of but never personally done. I cannot speak to how good of an experience this is or is not) or reaching out to PM&R physicians in the community to rotate with. I would try and get experience with both inpatient (either inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, long-term acute care facility) and outpatient (either general outpatient PM&R, interventional pain, sports-trained PM&R in maybe an orthopedics group, or interventional spine). I know I am missing other aspects of PM&R (amputee rehab, cancer rehab, pediatric rehab, etc.) but these things may just be harder to find. I agree with the above, you need exposure to know this is what you want.

Thank you. Yes I know I need more exposure. I did rotate with a PM&R/pain medicine physician for a week during my third year if that counts as exposure to the field... I have heard that programs frown upon applicants who appear as if they only want to do pain though

 

[JBM16BYU]

Thank you. Yes I know I need more exposure. I did rotate with a PM&R/pain medicine physician for a week during my third year if that counts as exposure to the field... I have heard that programs frown upon applicants who appear as if they only want to do pain though

This is why I typically recommend trying to see PM&R in multiple settings, to make sure that you have a broad enough exposure in the field. I am glad you got PM&R/pain, now I would look for something else.

 

[DMBandFan86]

I don’t know where you live but have you looked up PM&R docs around your area? Are there inpatient rehab facilities around (encompass health, kindred, etc). Try to find one and reach out to the docs and see if they will let you spend time with them. Whether it is an official rotation or you have to take a sick day from another rotation to fit in time, try to get the most exposure you can. Can also find electromyogrophers locally and try to work with them.

Have you taken care of SCI, TBI, amputee patients in the clinic elsewhere or in the ICU/hospital? If you have, talk about those experiences in your interviews or statements.

Try to get your other electives more PMR focused. Urology, neurology, ortho, rheumatology or even IM are key to understanding PM&R. Shadowing PT, OT, Speech are also opportunities to show your interest in the field.