Newswise — Baltimore, MD — The “PM&R Residency Expansion and Development Initiative” (PM&R READI) is a newly instated consultancy program developed by the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) to assist institutions in creating new physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency programs or improving the effectiveness of existing programs. Recognizing the looming shortage of physicians, medical schools have responded by increasing the number of medical schools as well as class size. On the other hand, Graduate Medical Schools have not followed suit and have fallen behind on this trend, leading to a record number of medical students graduating without enough spots in residency programs to accommodate the growth. The need for institutions to create new training programs is in high demand.
The AAP Education Committee, with the support of the American Physiatric Education Committee (APEC) created PM&R READI in response to this problem. Dr. Vu Q. C. Nguyen, head of the Education Committee and one of the creators of READI states, “My team and I created this program because we believe that READI will increase the number of PM&R programs in institutions across the country as well as improve upon already established programs. I am confident that PM&R READI will help produce more highly-trained physiatrists in America than ever before.”
The first institution to take advantage of PM&R READI PM&R program was Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Prior to reaching out to AAP, FAU contacted a national consultancy firm for help creating a new PM&R program but the firm provided inconclusive answers to FAU's questions. AAP’s READI program did not miss a beat sending Vu Q.C. Nguyen, MD and William Bockeneck, MD down to Florida to provide an evaluation. Over a two-day period, consisting of many interviews with CMOs, CQOs, CEOs, neurosurgeons, neurologists and physiatrists from four competing medical centers who have partnered with FAU, Drs Nguyen and Bockeneck presented their findings. FAU accepted their proposed solutions and thanked them for the “level of rigor” that was put into the assessment.
PM&R READI is actively looking for new partners and institutions. If you are interested in your residency program being evaluated or would like guidance on how to establish a new residency, please contact the AAP office for further details by emailing [email protected] or calling (410) 654-1000.
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The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) is the only academic association dedicated to the specialty of physiatry in the world. AAP is an organization of leading physicians, researchers, in-training physiatrists, and others involved or interested in mentorship, leadership, and discovery in physiatry. AAP holds an Annual Meeting, produces a leading medical journal in rehabilitation, AJPM&R, and leads a variety of programs and activities that support and enhance academic physiatry. To learn more about the Association and the field of physiatry, visit our site at physiatry.org and follow us on Twitter using @AAPhysiatrists. To learn more about the 2017 AAP Annual Meeting, visit http://www.physiatry.org/page/AAP2017.
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