Curriculum

Curriculum Components

Overall Rotation Components

The rotation components of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency include:

• Inpatient rehabilitation.
• Inpatient consultation.
• Outpatient rehabilitation.
• Outpatient musculoskeletal.
• Pediatrics.
• Pain management.
• Selective.

Learning Conference Highlights

Some highlights of the learning conference are:

• A weekly five-hour block protected from clinical duties.
• An 18-month cycle covering the full range of physical medicine and rehabilitation topics.
• Multidisciplinary physician and non-physician faculty.
• Varied styles including didactic, field trips, hands-on and group discussions.
• Recurrent topics including electrodiagnostics, ethics and business.
• Quality improvement.

Continuity Clinic

The continuity clinic is a unique opportunity to grow a real practice. Residents have primary responsibility for patient care and follow-up and can tailor the practice with referrals from the community. Continuity clinic begins in PGY-2 and is appropriately supervised throughout with progressive growth in responsibility and independence.

Procedural Experience

Electrodiagnostic experiences are spread throughout both inpatient and outpatient experiences in the training program. A full complement of pain management procedures (sympathetic blockade, spinal, nerve and joint injections), as well as neuromuscular injections for spasticity occur across various rotations. Case volume exceeds Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements.

Sports Medicine Experience

Sport illness and injury are encountered during the musculoskeletal rotation, in which residents learn from physiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons and musculoskeletal radiologists. Residents also learn how to care for patients during athletic events such as local football games and the Austin Marathon.

Selective Rotation

Selective months occur during PGY-3 and PGY-4. This rotation offers residents an opportunity to design a learning experience tailored to their unique interests and is one of the many opportunities for career management in the program.

Special Program Features

• Home call.
• Self-assessment examinations provided by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
• Participation in quality improvement projects.
• Monthly didactic sessions — including health care strategy, leadership, business principles and career management — dedicated to the practice of medicine.