Career Development: Medical Specialties: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specializes in restoring functional independence to a diverse patient population ranging from infants to the elderly. Rehabilitation physicians treat patients with athletic injuries, work related injuries, musculoskeletal problems, neurologic diseases and orthopedic problems. Patients who have a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or acute or chronic pain are also seen by rehabilitation physicians. The rehabilitation physician directs a comprehensive team comprised of physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, recreational therapists and nurses. Training is received in therapeutic exercises and physical modalities, prosthetics, orthotics, gait analysis, electrodiagnostic studies, and diagnostic and therapeutic injections.

Residency training information:

• Duration of training (number of years): Three years after a one year internship
• Number of programs nationally: 80 programs
• Number of entering residency positions per year: 330
• Types of fellowships or subspecialties: NIH Research, Pain Management, Spinal Cord Injury, Sports Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Traumatic Brain Injury and Pediatric fellowships
• Type of Match: Regular
• Overall competitiveness: Moderately Competitive (good chance of matching for average student) but competitiveness is increasing

Primary faculty contact person for M1 and M2 students:

• Sonya Miller, M.D. (sonyamil@med.umich.edu)
• Catherine Spires, M.D. (mcspires@med.umich.edu)
• Phone: 734-936-7201

Medical Student Club or Interest Group:

• The group usually meets twice a year – once in the fall and once in the spring.

Shadowing or mentoring experiences available to M1 or M2 students:

• Contact Andrea McHenry (adraeger@med.umich.edu)

Resources:

• American Academy of PM&R (http://www.aapmr.org)
• AAPM&R Work Force Needs Study (www.aapmr.org/hpl/studya.htm)
• American Medical Association (http://www.ama-assn.org/freida)
• Association of Academic Physiatrists (http://www.physiatry.org)
• American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (http://www.aaem.net/abem.html)
• American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (http://www.acrm.org)

Suggested journals, books, or other information for interested students:

• Archives of PM&R
• American Journal of PM&R
• Muscle and Nerve
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation by Braddom
• Rehabilitation Medicine: Principles and Practice by DeLisa
• Residency Training Program in PM&R Directory
• Manual of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation by C. Brammer & M. C. Spires