How to Become a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Doctor

Dr. Ross Kopelman had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Annie Purcell, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor, about her journey to become a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor. In this video, you will discover tips you need to become a Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor and prepare for residency. Bio for Dr. Annie Purcell: I am a Spine and Sports Physiatrist and owner of private practice in my hometown of Redding, CA. I practice outpatient Musculoskeletal Medicine with a special interest in Lifestyle Medicine. I have been involved nationally with the AMA representing my specialty on the CPT Advisory panel and within the AAPM&R on reimbursement and practice management. I am a Mother to two young boys, ages 8 and 5. My hobbies include running, weight training, gymnastics, wine tasting, and personal finance. Reason Dr. Annie Purcell pursued Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: My initial interest was in Sports Medicine and I thought my only options were Primary Care with a Sports Medicine Fellowship or Orthopedic Surgery. During medical school, I discovered Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which was a better fit for me to pursue Sports Medicine through. Education: College - Santa Clara University Medical School - Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine Residency -NYU Rusk (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) Fellowship - Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine (Non-ACGME) Typical Day in the life of a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor: As a business owner, I have control over my schedule. I used to do direct patient care full-time. I now spend my time in a mix between seeing patients in the office, supervising my PA, overseeing the practice and working on some business projects outside of direct patient care. I try to alternate dedicated clinic days with administrative days. I also block time to volunteer in each of my son's classes weekly. The types of patients we are currently seeing in my practice include people with spine pain and other musculoskeletal disorders as well as patients who are interested in having a consultation on how to make lifestyle changes which will positively affect their health and longevity. I usually exercise each day either before or after work and spend time with my boys in the evenings. Residency training: PM&R Residency is four years. There are some programs with an internship combined with the three years of PM&R training and other programs that are for PGY2-PGY4 where the internship is done separately. There is a fair amount of inpatient call coverage (for acute inpatient rehabilitation), which tends to be heavier in the PGY2 year in most programs. There are multiple one-year fellowships that Physiatrists can pursue after training, including Interventional Spine and Sports, Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury. What type of advice do you give to those aspiring to be in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Spend time in the different areas of PM&R and understand that in your training you will learn all of it, but that you can become highly specialized afterward if that is your goal. Make sure to consider what type of practice setting is your ultimate goal and work toward learning as much about that as possible. However, remain flexible in your career as the environment is rapidly changing. 3 Things that Excite Dr. Annie Purcell about being a Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor: 1) The growth and potential of Regenerative Medicine. 2) The new technology and new procedures that have become available to our specialty. 3) The tightly-knit community within the specialty. If Dr. Annie Purcell picked another field: I would either be a Health Coach/Lifestyle Entrepreneur or a sideline reporter for the NFL!

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