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The UW PM&R Residency Program:

We provide an opportunity to develop skills and scholarship in a unique environment. Our department has excellent relationships with clinical departments associated with physical medicine and rehabilitation such as neurosurgery, neurology, and orthopaedics. We also draw upon the basic science research units in the UW School of Medicine and relevant undergraduate and graduate schools.

Our training program meets the General and Special requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and was approved for a 5 year accreditation, the maximum granted, at its last review in 2003. Graduates of our department have achieved national recognition as academicians, clinicians, and leaders of professional organizations. We have trained more department chairpersons than any other program in the country.

Each year, residents are accepted at both the PGY-1 and the PGY-2 levels. We have 3 PGY-1 positions and 28 positions distributed among the PGY-2 through PGY-4 levels. For those entering at the PGY-1 level, the department has developed a program that satisfies the 12-month experience requirement of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The rotations are specifically selected to meet the needs of a future physiatrist (rehabiliation physician), emphasizing the development of skill and knowledge in internal medicine, emergency medicine, pain management, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and geriatrics.

Hospitals and Training Centers included in the residency program:

The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is a tertiary care university hospital. PM&R resident rotations include inpatient care, consultations, electrodiagnosis, and outpatient clinics, including general rehabilitation clinics and specialty clinics for conditions such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio, spinal cord injury, brain injury, rheumatology, orthopaedics, spinal problems, and pain. (Total beds: 385, PM&R: 20)

Harborview Medical Center (HMC) is a county-owned institution managed by the University of Washington that houses the region's only Level 1 trauma and burn centers. PM&R resident rotations include inpatients, outpatient consultations, electrodiagnosis, and outpatient clinics including spinal cord injury, brain injury, sports medicine, and orthopaedic clinics. (Total beds: 313, PM&R: 26)

The Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC): The Resident rotations include inpatient care, spinal cord injury care, electrodiagnosis, and outpatient clinics including musculoskeletal medicine, prosthetics, and multiple sclerosis. (Total beds: 488, PM&R: 12 to 16, Spinal Cord Injury Service: 34)

Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center (CHMRC) is the only tertiary care pediatric facility in the Northwest. Specialized rehabilitation medicine programs focus on traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, limb deficiency, and other congenital and acquired disabilities. (Total beds: 200, PM&R: 12)

Musculoskeletal Training: A variety of outpatient experiences provide training in management of musculoskeletal conditions. The musculoskeletal care rotation is a 2-month rotation of outpatient clinics in rheumatology, spine, pain, orthopaedics, physical medicine, physiatric injections, and sports medicine. There are also musculoskeletal clinics as part of outpatient rotations at UWMC and the VA. Residents may also choose the pain service, a month-long rotation with exposure to structured treatment of chronic pain as well as outpatient evaluation of acute and chronic pain conditions. There are monthly musculoskeletal and radiology conferences as well as intense training in functional anatomy and physical modalities. Residents also attend 2 special seminars, orthopaedic boot camp with entering orthopaedic residents, and a cadaver injection workshop with internal medicine residents.

Electrodiagnostic Training: Residents easily meet the requirements of 200 electrodiagnostic exams during residency training. They have the opportunity to do EMGs at all the hospitals, including somatosensory evoked potentials and intra operative monitoring. There are extensive didactics in EMG and case conferences at the hospitals as well.

The Academic Curriculum:

The academic curriculum is designed to create a physician who is not only well prepared to practice in any area of rehabilitation medicine, but is also qualified to join the next generation of leaders in the field.

Regularly scheduled seminars and conferences on Monday and Thursday mornings address a variety of special topics. These include journal club, research seminar, grand rounds, EMG conference, musculoskeletal conference, and departmental seminars on selected topics.

Basic science instruction is carried out in structured courses. These class hours are incorporated into all clinical rotation schedules. This program of instruction begins in the PGY-2 year. The curriculum includes clinical kinesiology and biomechanics, musculoskeletal anatomy and modalities, clinical and neuropsychology, medical aspects of vocational counseling; communication disorders in rehabilitation medicine, electromyography and clinical neurophysiology, prosthetics, orthotics, practice management, and clinical musculoskeletal medicine.

An additional requirement for graduation from the residency program is the completion of a scholarly activity designed to include an opportunity for peer review of oral and written work, depending on the individual objectives of the resident. One option is to complete additional coursework in instructional methods and prepare and deliver a lecture to the department. A second option is to prepare a manuscript on a case report or case series that is accepted for national presentation and submitted to a journal. A third option is to complete a more formal research project. The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation allows us to permit selected residents to perform up to 6 months of elective research within the 3-year training period.

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Clinical Rotations:

Residents spend an average of 13 months in inpatient training, 7 months of inpatient consultation, 12 months of outpatient clinics, and 4 months of electrodiagnostic training.

Inpatient residents conduct the primary medical and rehabilitation management of 8-12 patients. Consult residents perform consults on hospitalized patients on other services (up to 15 per week), EMGs (two half-day assignments) and have clinic duties (two or three half-days per week). Special rotations, such as at private hospitals, amputee rehabilitation, or cardiac rehabilitation, include similar clinic and EMG duties. In the PGY-3 or PGY-4 year, residents are assigned to special electives such as EMGs, musculoskeletal clinics, pain management, or research. Residents take night call from home one week at a time, for an average of 4-6 weeks each year.

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If you are interested in completing your PGY1 year in the Seattle area, some of the options are:

Please note that because we submit identical match lists for our categorical and our advanced tracks, you will need to rank BOTH if you want to potentially match to both. For example, if you only rank our categorical track, you will only be eligible for those 3 positions. If we fill those positions before the NRMP system reaches your name on our rank list, you will not be automatically considered for our advanced track. To be considered for both tracks, you need to rank both tracks in order of preference.

Stipends and Benefits:

Stipends for residents in each of the 4 years of training are approved annually by the Washington State Legislature. The stipend schedule for 2007 - 2008 is: PGY-1-$45,084; PGY-2-$46,908; PGY-3-$48,144; PGY-4-$50,760. Major medical insurance, dental insurance, and basic life insurance are provided to all house staff members and their dependents. Supplemental life insurance and disability insurance are also available through the University. All interns and residents receive 3 weeks of vacation per year and 12 days of sick leave. Financial assistance is provided to all senior residents to attend the AAPM&R meeting in the PGY-4 year. Residents who present papers or posters at national meetings also receive financial support, regardless of their level of training.

Residents are entitled to staff privileges at the University, including use of the library, computer centers, an e-mail account, athletic facilities, and reduced prices on tickets for some sports and cultural activities. There are computers with email and Internet access at all training sites. Residents can also access patient information on "Mindscape" from home computers.

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What is it like to live in Seattle and the Northwest?

One of the greatest benefits of training at the University of Washington is the opportunity to live in a beautiful, safe, culturally diverse, and yes, often overcast, part of the country. The coffee, the salmon, and the quality of life can't be topped anywhere else!
Check out these websites to get a feel of what the Northwest has to offer:

UW's Graduate Medical Education website - A resource for all residents at the Universtiy of Washington. It has useful information about housing and other topics of interest to residents.

Beautiful Seattle - Learn more about the "Emerald City" of Seattle.

Smart Seattle - Voted one of America's Smartest Cities

Seattle Sidewalk - A resource for things to do in Seattle -arts, movies, night life, events, music, shopping, sports events, restaurants, hotels.

Seattle Attractions - What to do and see in Seattle.

How can I apply as a Visiting Medical Student?

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine offers Rehab 687 to fourth year visiting medical students interested in Rehabilitation Medicine. This is a four-week clerkship that is available in conjunction with the UW elective block schedule. No exceptions are made to this calendar. Interested students will be placed at one of our affiliated hospitals: University of Washington Medical Center; Children's Hospital; Harborview Medical Center , or Veterans Affairs Hospital . All are located in Seattle . If you are interested in another hospital within the Seattle area, please specify on your application form.

The first step in applying is to submit your Board Scores, a current CV and a personal statement explaining your interest in doing a clerkship with us. These items should be emailed to Phaedra Allen, the clerkship coordinator (pallen2@u.washington.edu). Once you have met the departmental requirements you will be directed to the UW Academic Affairs Office to complete the university requirements including the Visiting Student Application Form and a $100 non-refundable application fee.

It is important to note that a 4-week Chronic Care Clerkship is a graduation requirement for University of Washington medical students. Therefore, due to our primary commitment to our students, limited space is available for visiting students. Since University of Washington students have until four weeks prior to the start of each quarter to add or drop their Chronic Care Clerkship, acceptance of your application can only be guaranteed three to four weeks prior to the quarter you have applied.

Refer to the UW Visiting Student Program Clinical Clerkship Schedule and indicate the four-week period you would like to apply for. It is helpful if alternate dates are also listed. Please contact Phaedra Allen (pallen2@u.washington.edu) for more information.

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