"Rehabilitation … a key word in medicine": the legacy of Dr. Frank H. Krusen

Quantity and Quality of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkships in US Medical Schools

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to address two underreported issues in undergraduate physical medicine and rehabilitation medical education: quantity and quality of physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkships in US medical schools.

DESIGN

A multimethod sequential design was used to evaluate the curricula of US medical schools. Quantity (N = 154) of physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkships was assessed by counting the number of required, selective, and elective clerkships in each medical school. Quality (n = 13) was assessed by conducting a thematic analysis on physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship curricula to identify learning objectives. These objectives were then compared with learning objectives in a model standard.

RESULTS

Whereas few medical schools required a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship, most offered elective rotations in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Most medical schools only included 6 of the 12 model standard learning objectives. Medical schools also included 29 learning objectives not present in the model standard.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkships are not underrepresented but are underemphasized, in undergraduate medical schools. Furthermore, these clerkships use inconsistent learning objectives. Thus, findings suggest the need to draw attention to physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkships by offering them as selectives and to develop a list of standardized learning objectives. This exploratory study developed such a groundbreaking list and invites the physical medicine and rehabilitation community to test it.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: From the Birth of a Specialty to Its Recognition

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) was subordinate to different specialties. Currently, it is recognized as essential to improving healthcare. How did it originate and which events impacted it? Different events have impacted the development of PMR including war, epidemic, sport, natural disasters, and the demographic and sociocultural characteristics of each country. At present, PMR is experiencing some difficulties throughout the world; we present proposals to improve its position to bring the specialty up to the specialty podium. Accidentology, sports events, and natural disasters enrich medicine in general and PRM in particular. Indeed, all these events create disability through a participatory and integrative strategy of the patients; PMR always takes up the challenge.