Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
What advice would you offer first- and second-year students who are interested in pursuing your specialty?
A great diverse specialty that can be both inpatient/outpatient or just inpatient or outpatient. Its broad focus is in Musculoskeletal and Neuro. Outpatient PM&R can be very procedure based. After completing a 4-year training program you are already a specialist. Fellowships are also available.
Clinton E. Faulk, MD
Chairman
Director, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program
Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
faulkc@ecu.edu
Does research experience need to be in the specialty itself?
It is not required but can certainly help.
What M3/M4 electives would you recommend to a student who is interested in pursuing your specialty?
- M3 Electives – Any PM&R opportunity is great but recommend a combination of inpatient and outpatient PM&R.
- M4 Electives – Required PM&R/Neuro rotation already exists at ECU.
Does your specialty recommend doing away rotations?
We allow away rotations, but the majority of need can be accomplished locally.
If your specialty recommends doing away rotations, how many away rotations do you recommend?
1-2
If away rotations are necessary, when should they be completed?
No specific location but recommend to at least do inpatient PM&R.
Which month/s are interviews most concentrated?
October – December.
Does your specialty recommend that all letters of recommendation be written by members of your specialty?
At least one but more the better.
If letters can come from other disciplines, do you have a recommendation as to which disciplines are more highly valued?
Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Surgery.
Does the academic rank of the letter writer matter?
Yes.
How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
More and more each year.
How important are each of the following for admission to a competitive program in your specialty?
| Very Important | Somewhat Important | Not Important | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadowing | X | |||
| Leadership | X | |||
| Community Service | X | |||
| Extracurriculuar Activities | X | |||
| Research / Publications | X | |||
| AOA Membership | X | |||
| Gold Humanism Honor Society | X | |||
| USMLE Step 2 Scores | X | |||
| Clerkship Grades | X | |||
| Top Tier Medical School | X | |||
| MPSE Letter | X | X | ||
| Personal Statement | X | |||
| Letters of Recommendation | X |