Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

This was a two week rotation that commenced the week after I returned home from South Africa. For those who have never heard of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation(PM &R), I will attempt to shed some light on my chosen field and highlight my experience on the rotation.

Physiatrists(PM &R), as explained by the AAPM &R website, are experts at diagnosing and treating pain, Restoring maximum function lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions, Treat the whole person, not just the problem area, Lead a team of medical professionals, Provide non-surgical treatments, Explain your medical problems and treatment plan, and Work not only on treatment but also prevention. Rehabilitation physicians are nerve, muscle, and bone experts who treat injuries or illnesses that affect how you move. Rehabilitation physicians have completed training in the medical specialty physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Rehabilitation physicians treat a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. Their goal is to decrease pain and enhance performance without surgery. Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. They then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This medical team might include other physicians and health professionals, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians help patients stay as active as possible at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.

So there is a quick blurb on what a Physiatrist is and does. I spent two weeks with Dr. Mike in Mansfield Ohio, around 1 1/2 hours north of Columbus. I drove 30 minutes to his house, and then rode another hour with Dr. Mike every morning to get to his office. I enjoyed the first week riding with him as I learned firsthand of the lifestyle of a physiatrist, and all the positives and negatives about the specialty, but there are some things you learn about people that you never wanted to learn about them when riding in the car! :) The hours were not that bad if you take out the 3 hour round trip commute every day...and the constant boasting of Dr. Mike with his "6 board certifications and 181 certified IQ". Here are some of my impressions:

1. I liked how I could spend more time with patients then in family medicine. Also, there is a broad scope of diseases in PM & R but I at least know the neighborhood of where the diseases are coming from whereas in FP, you never know what will walk in the door.
2. I liked both musculoskeletal medicine and the neurological portion of the rotation. I wouldn't mind getting involved in Prosthetics and Orthodics.
3. I love how the goal of a physiatrist is to keep people from having surgery by using other means to restore health.
4. I used my Osteopathic Manual Medicine during this rotation which was fun to do!
5. I like the procedures and how you get a flavor of anesthesia, and radiology when doing injections.
6. It would be a fairly good lifestyle.
7. I could help people with impairments like my own.
8. I attended a couple of BOTOX parties...not sure if I want to get into that, but I would be trained to administer it during a PM & R residency. I turned down some beer at the party and they all thought I was crazy. haha.

For now, this is what I want to do. I head on a three month tour of PM &R starting next week in San Antonio, Texas. I will then do a month at the University of Utah, and lastly at Mayo clinic. I have to turn in my residency application on Sept. 1st and PM &R is my aim. If for some reason I absolutely hate the rotations coming up, I will likely switch to family medicine. Wish me all luck as I go through the crazy residency application process!

I also just finished the Step 2 COMLEX licensing Board exam last Wednesday. I took step 1 last summer and will take step 3 next year, and once I pass that I will officially be a licensed physician. So step 2 was another 8 hour, 400 question exam. Why I continue to pay 500 dollars for these exams and put myself through such craziness is beyond me. I never thought I would spend so many Friday and Saturday nights preparing for an exam either. But overall I was glad for the opportunity to study more about the treatment algorithms and pick up things that I missed during the rotations. Thank you Makenna for putting up with me and providing me with food and support so I could continue studying! Her last few weekends were pretty lame since she had a study crazed husband. Hopefully it will pay off someday.