Program Overview

Residents in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Program at Louisiana State University Medical Center (LSUMC) develop an in-depth working knowledge of the specialty, learning essential rehabilitation strategies for patients. The PM&R program emphasizes the development of leadership qualities that enable our residents to work effectively in teams with other health professionals in the rehabilitation treatment of a patient. To build the quality of leadership, knowledge, and expertise required to be successful, residents go through a range of facilities and rotations, offering opportunity for interactions with skilled professionals at all levels. These interactions lead to the development of insight into the multiple perspectives and approaches employed by different health professionals to accomplish the rehabilitation of patients. Furthermore, characteristics of the patient population and pathology will vary with the facility and rotations, broadening and building the residents understanding. Rotations in our spectrum of facilities are the cornerstone to the diverse exposure summed by our residents, enabling the program to graduate proficient and experienced leaders in physiatry.

The flexible structure of the rotation schedule benefits the resident by tailoring room for their particular interest. The twelve months of preliminary medical training is divided into six months of rotations in post-graduate year one and two. Rotations during the twelve months of preliminary training are customized through collaboration of the resident and program director with the goal of building the fundamental knowledge and skill useful to their future practice in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The flexibility in these rotations can be individualized with the house officer, however, the 12-months of training must meet the program requirements set by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the ACGME. Recommended rotations include: Medicine, Rheumatology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pediatric Orthopedics, and Sports Medicine. During the residents PM&R training, the twelve-month requirement for inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation is satisfied with the remaining time in residency involving a variety of outpatient experience in the corresponding facilities. The rotation sites are nearly all within the greater New Orleans area and are conveniently located with no more than a fifteen-minute commute between them. Goals and objectives of each rotation are specifically designed to meet the program requirements for residency training set by the American Board of PM&R and the ACGME. In addition, the program calls for progressive delegation of responsibility to residents in their training.

Overall Program Goals and Objectives

Demonstrate competencies in the following areas

1. Performing a physiatric history and physical including a functional assessment.
2. Equipment prescriptions, including orthotics, prosthetics, and wheelchair.
3. Electrodiagnosis
4. Injection Techniques
5. Physiatric prescription for therapies, exercise and therapeutic modalities.
6. Multidisciplinary setting with the physiatrist in the leadership role of the team.
7. Rehabilitation management of chronic pain, pediatrics, geriatrics, neurological, rheumatological, orthopedics, cardiopulmonary, burn rehab, and wound care.
8. Demonstrate Competencies in
   1. Compassionate, effective patient care
   2. Medical knowledge, and apply to patient care
   3. Practice-based leaning
   4. Communication skills
   5. Professionalism
   6. Systems-based practice