Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Curricula

Adult PM&R Curriculum | Combined Pediatric Rehabilitation Curriculum

Adult PM&R Curriculum

The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Program at the University Hospital/University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center was initiated in 1988. It is fully accredited by the ACGME and leads to board eligibility in PM&R. This is a four-year, integrated program with two residents accepted annually. Applicants are accepted through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Once accepted, new residents will spend their first year rotating on Internal Medicine for six months and participating in 6 months of medical and surgical subspecialty electives that relate to PM&R. The residents will also attend a half day per week continuity clinic in PM&R during their first year. This meets the first year training requirements, as outlined by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

In subsequent years, residents will rotate through a variety of inpatient and outpatient rotations providing the resident with a wide exposure to the diagnosis, evaluation and management of persons of all ages with physical and/or cognitive impairments and disability. Residents will gain expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with painful or functionally limiting conditions, the management of comorbidities, diagnostic and therapeutic injection procedures, electrodiagnostic medicine with an emphasis on the prevention of complications of disability and secondary complications.

Residents will attend a half-day per week in PM&R Resident Continuity Clinic throughout their residency. This allows them the unique opportunity to manage their own patients and follow them over the course of their residency.

Typical Adult PM&R Schedule:

PGY1

6 months Medical wards at University Hospital
6 months Subspecialty electives including neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and rheumatology at University Hospital

PGY2

3 months Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation at the Drake Center
3 months Inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation at the Drake Center
2 months Inpatient stroke rehabilitation at the Drake Center
2 months Consults at University Hospital
1 month Outpatient at the VA Medical Center

PGY3

1 month Consults at University Hospital
2 months Outpatient at the VA Medical Center
4 months Electrodiagnostic medicine at various sites
1 month Neuro-Outpatient at the Drake Center and Children's Hospital
1 month Outpatient at Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
1 month Outpatient at the Brace Shop
1 month Pediatric rehabilitation at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center
1 month Geriatric rehabilitation at Christ Hospital

PGY4

1 month Outpatient at VA Medical Center
1 month EMG Senior resident
1 month Senior resident on the SCI Unit at the Drake Center
1 month Senior resident on Brain Injury Unit at the Drake Center
1 month Geriatric rehabilitation at Christ Hospital
2 months Pediatric Rehabilitation at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center
1 month Outpatient at Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
4 months Electives

Combined Pediatric Rehabilitation Curriculum

The combined Pediatrics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program was established in 1988 as a fully accredited program leading to board eligibility in both Pediatrics and PM&R. The program lasts 5 years with one resident accepted annually. Applicants are accepted into our program through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Once accepted, the new resident will complete a pediatric internship at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center during their first year. During the following years, rotations will switch between Children's Hospital and the adult rehabilitation training sites every four months. (Six months of pediatric rehabilitation occurs during the pediatric months and counts towards the board requirements of both specialties.) This will allow completion of requirements for both boards without extended time away from either of the programs.

Inpatient experiences consist of rotating on various adult rehabilitation units, pediatric medical units and the pediatric rehabilitation unit. The pediatric inpatient unit is a 12 bed CARF accredited unit located at Children's Hospital. Approximately half of the admissions to the pediatric rehabilitation unit are related to an acquired brain injury from a variety of etiologies including trauma, infection, anoxia, stroke, or tumor. Other reasons for admission include: multiple trauma, spinal cord injury, pain management, conversion disorder, joint arthroplasty, spinal fusion, neuromuscular disorders such as spina bifida, Guillain Barre or Duchenne muscular dystrophy, amputation, organ transplant and others.

Outpatient experiences include many experiences in general pediatrics and adult rehabilitation in addition to pediatric rehabilitation. The residents will do a half day per week of general pediatric continuity clinic during their first two years. During PGY3-5 years they will be involved in a pediatric rehabilitation continuity clinic. Other specialized and multidisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation clinics include: spasticity clinic, cerebral palsy clinic, muscular dystrophy clinic, brachial plexus clinic, neuro-oncology clinic, spina bifida clinic, limb reconstruction clinic, stroke clinic, and wheelchair clinic.