Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Catalog description

Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a medical specialty where clinicians may have both an inpatient and outpatient practice. Their focus is on enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life to patients with various impairments or disabilities. Many patients who are cared for by a PM&R physician (aka physiatrist) have neurological disabilities such as brain injury (non-traumatic and traumatic), spinal cord, stroke, multiple sclerosis, polio, and other musculoskeletal problems. On this rotation, students will have the opportunity to care for patients in an inpatient setting. These settings are also referred to as "high intensity" rehabilitation settings in that a patient can expect to spend at least 3 hours per day participating in their rehabilitation. Physiatrists work as part of a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of the "whole" patient in achieving maximal recovery.