Physical Medicine
Did you know...
"From the more than 200 completed applications we receive, the review committee typically selects between 60 and 75 applicants for interview. We recruit to fill between ten and twelve residency slots."
- Baylor College of Medicine/The University of Texas at Houston Medical School PM&R Alliance Residency Program website
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Why pursue Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation as a career?
2010 Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Salary
Overview of Residency Training
To become a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician or physiatrist, four years of residency training are required. Only the latter three years are spent fully immersed in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and residents must first complete an internship or postgraduate year 1 (PGY1). This preliminary year can be completed in medicine (i.e., medicine preliminary year) or surgery (i.e., surgery preliminary year). Some residents choose to complete this year in a transitional program.
According to the AMA and AAMC, there are over 1,200 residents training in 79 ACGME-accredited physical medicine and rehabilitation residency programs. Fifty-five percent are USMDs, 19% are international medical graduates, and 26% are osteopathic graduates.
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Physical medicine and rehabilitation residents in the United States |
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# of total residents |
% USMDs |
% IMGs |
% osteopathic graduates |
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1,211 |
55% |
19% |
26% |
| Data adapted from Brotherton S, Etzel S. Graduate medical education, 2009 - 2010. JAMA 2010; 304(11): 1255 - 1270. | |||
2010 Match Data
Physical medicine & rehabilitation is a moderately competitive specialty. In the 2010 NRMP Match, 10.2% of U.S. seniors failed to match. Approximately 35% of independent applicants (osteopathic and international medical graduates) went unmatched.
Why pursue Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a Career?
Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians discuss reasons why they chose to pursue a career in the field:
Joseph Chen, MD
Darryl Kaelin, MD (AAMC Careers in Medicine)
20 Questions with David Russo, DO
2010 Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Compensation/Salary
Find out how much a physical medicine & rehabilitation physician (physiatrist) makes...
Subspecialties of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Subspecialties in which physical medicine & rehabilitation physicians can pursue fellowship training leading to board certification include:
Excelling in your Core Clerkships
In a recent NRMP survey of physical medicine & rehabilitation residency program directors, 69% cited "grades in required clerkships" as a factor in selecting applicants to interview. Our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success shows students proven strategies for success in core clerkships. Nineteen U.S. medical school have made our book a required or recommended text for third-year medical students. Read reviews of the book and Q & A with the authors. The first chapter is available free to read. The book can be purchased through our online store or at Amazon.
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Application
Almost all residency programs require applicants to submit their completed application through the Electronic Residency Application Service, also known as ERAS. ERAS does not, however, allow applicants to submit their curriculum vitae or CV as part of this application. Instead, ERAS requires all applicants to transfer information from their CV to the ERAS Application Form. It is the ERAS Application Form that is then sent to programs for review along with the the rest of your application.
Once the application is received, program directors will read it closely and carefully. The application will be used to assess the quality of your written communication skills. Programs place considerable emphasis on communication skills because effective communication has been shown to directly affect the quality of care given to patients.
Therefore, it is imperative that all information in your application is well communicated and error-free. In our experiences reviewing and editing applications, errors are common.
We have considerable experience reviewing and editing the ERAS Application Form can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful.
Our ERAS Application Review/Editing Service can be purchased through our online store. All clients will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match.
Important Information for the Aspiring Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician
PM&R fellowship training
Pediatric rehabilitation medicine subspecialty training
Reading habits of physical medicine and rehabilitation resident physicians
Physiatrist 2007: Who Are We and Where Are We Going?
The 34th Walter J. Zeiter lecture: creating the future of PM&R: building on our past
The Future of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine as a Medical Specialty in the Era of Evidence-Based Medicine
Practice and career satisfaction among physiatrists. A national survey.