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Program Overview:
Resident Performance Expectations by
PGY Training Level

We offer both a categorical and an advanced program. The residency is designed to provide education and experience in the science and practice of medicine as it relates to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation establishes guidelines for educational objectives and ultimately tests physicians who have qualified to sit for examination after completing a 48-month training period as a resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

In each of the three successive years post-internship, the expectations and the responsibility of the residents are increased. While there is a great deal of overlap among the years in terms of the type of patient seen, in general the complexity and sub-specialty care of the patients increases throughout the three years.

In order for a resident to be advanced to the next academic level, the resident must possess specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior and performance.

PG-1 Level

The program for the PM&R intern year consists of 4-week rotation periods as follows: Internal Medicine (three rotations); Neurology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Family Practice (one rotation each). Additionally, the PGY-1 resident shall complete the internship by rotating through two elective rotations: Rotation options include but are not limited to:

1. Trauma Surgery
2. Radiology
3. Psychiatry
4. Emergency Medicine

PG-2 Level (Care of Inpatients)

At the completion of the PG-2 year, the resident is expected to have demonstrated satisfactory achievement of all rotational educational objectives, as well as:

1. Specific expertise in direct clinical care of hospitalized patients
2. Skills in the management of an inpatient rehabilitation unit (i.e., as team leader)
3. Performance of a comprehensive physiatric evaluation
4. Formulation a problem list/differential diagnosis
5. Dictation of a comprehensive report on patients examined (within 24 hours & following hospital policy/guidelines for inpatient services)
6. Prescription of appropriate therapeutic measures
7. Appreciation for contributions of non-physician providers to the rehabilitation team
8. Participation in the supervision & training of medical students in basic information gathering, decision making & patient management
9. Passing grade on USMLE Step 3

PG-3 Level (Consultation and Ambulatory Care)

At the completion of the PGY-3 year, the resident is expected to have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to diagnose and manage the rehabilitation of patients on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.

At the completion of the PGY-3 year, the resident is expected to have demonstrated satisfactory achievement of all rotational educational objectives, as well as:

1. Ability to act as a consulting physician with referring primary care &/or other specialty physicians
2. Compliance with all criteria for PGY-2 residents
3. Formulation of a comprehensive treatment plan for various types of patients, including appropriate intervention, goals and disposition
4. Ability to negotiate the various levels of care by making appropriate referrals & managing the discharge planning function
5. Substantial skill in supervising & training medical students in basic information gathering, decision making & patient management
6. Substantial skill in supervising junior residents (PGY-2)

PG-4 Level (Ambulatory Care and Electrodiagnostic Studies)

At the end of the PG-4 year the resident will continue to have competence in all PGY-2 and PGY-3 objectives but with increasing responsibility for patient care, thus demonstrating advanced knowledge of differential diagnosis and patient therapeutic decisions.

At the completion of the PGY-4 year, the resident is expected to have demonstrated satisfactory achievement of all rotational educational objectives, as well as:

1. Independent responsibility for directing patient care decisions
2. Skilled performance of electromyography, nerve conduction, SSEP, & other diagnostic studies (as evidenced by completion of a minimum of 200 studies)
3. Effective assessment of various aspects of the rehabilitation management of the older adult
4. Presentation of one grand rounds session to faculty & colleagues
5. Substantial skill in supervising & training medical students
6. Substantial skill in supervising & training junior residents (PGY-2 & PGY-3)

Other Criteria Used at All Training Levels

The Program Director will also use the following evaluation tools in determining the residents readiness to advance to the next level of training:

1. The resident must have attended a minimum of 75% of the didactic lectures
2. Written evaluations for each rotation shall be satisfactory
3. Semi-annual evaluations by the program director shall be satisfactory
4. Formal case presentations & participation in journal club shall be satisfactory
5. Participation in scholarly project
6. General achievement in the Six Competencies (medical knowledge, patient care, interviewing & communication, professionalism, practice-based learning & improvement, systems-based practice)
7. Other hospital, department or professional policy guidelines