Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Since 1992, the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) program has trained residents in all aspects of rehabilitation and physical medicine. Subsequently, we’ve produced physicians with a broad set of skills that will prepare them for a smooth transition to fellowship training, a general private practice or an academic career.
The program has a combined categorical and advanced Match program that has been fully accredited – at the maximum cycle length of 5 years – since its inception by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Over the last five years, 95% of residents have passed their written boards and 95% passed their oral boards on the first try – numbers that significantly surpass the national average.
In our program, residents will gain a solid foundation in the following specialty areas:
- Neurotrauma (brain injury and spinal cord injury) rehabilitation
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Prosthetics and orthotics
- Musculoskeletal medicine
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Oncology rehabilitation
Where You Will Train
Carolinas Rehabilitation
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program is located in Carolinas Rehabilitation and adjacent to Carolinas Medical Center. Carolinas Rehabilitation is one of the largest rehabilitation providers in the nation with a 192-bed, CARF-accredited acute rehabilitation facility that provides inpatient care at 4 locations as well as Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital. The facility also includes many outpatient facilities throughout the Charlotte region.
Our new state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital is coming in 2022. Our new facility is being thoughtfully designed to help us provide the very best care to those with the most challenging conditions – throughout the Carolinas and beyond.
Learn moreMore information on Carolinas Rehabilitation’s 4 inpatient hospitals and Levine Children’s Hospital:
- Carolinas Rehabilitation - Charlotte
- Carolinas Rehabilitation - Mount Holly
- Carolinas Rehabilitation - NorthEast
- Carolinas Rehabilitation - Pineville
- Levine Children’s Hospital
Residents will also train at outpatient rehabilitation facilities across the Charlotte region, which provide a variety of programs and services to their patients.
Learn moreWhat Residents are Saying About the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program
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“Our residency program provides world-class training in a collegial atmosphere. As the largest rehabilitation center in the Southeast, you will be exposed to a diverse and complex patient population. I chose CR because of the opportunities it provided, the supportive environment, and the focus on work-life balance.”
Tripp Ference, MD, Academic Chief Resident
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“We are assigned a peer mentor, faculty mentor, resident mentor and quality improvement mentorship early in our time as residents to guide us through our education and on to a successful future career in physiatry. You’ll graduate with the tools and knowledge you need for a successful, prosperous career.”
Dana Westerkam, MD, Quality Improvement Chief Resident
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“With 15 residents we have a great balance of home call, moonlighting opportunities, and plenty of time to enjoy all that Charlotte has to offer. Highlights I recommend discussing further with our residents include the attending lead interventional spine cadaver workshop, resiliency curriculum, and sports coverage opportunities.”
Paul Weaver, DO, Administrative Chief Resident
Meet the Faculty
“Over the years, our residents and attending physicians have greatly contributed to the communities that we serve. We have served as coaches for soccer and basketball leagues, referees at the same, cooks at the Ronald McDonald House, garbage pickups at our community parks and rivers, and overall handyman at Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. We not only give our time and expertise, we also give our hearts!”
Vu Q. C. Nguyen, MD, MBA
Vice Chair of Academics
Residency Program Director
With a nationally and internationally renowned team of physicians who serve as faculty, our residents have access to a variety of experiences and knowledge in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program. View their bios here.
Program Curriculum
Residents of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program will have many learning and teaching experiences, including:
- Rotations in a variety of sub-specialized rotations, including cancer rehabilitation, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, musculoskeletal medicine, stroke, orthopedic and amputation, pain, palliative care and hospice, pediatric rehabilitation, rheumatology, spinal cord injury, sports medicine and traumatic brain injury.
- Faculty-led didactic lectures and conferences.
- Resident-led, weekly PM&R conferences, providing opportunities to present and defend ideas and gain skills as a teacher.
- Greater than 2:1 faculty-to-resident ratio.
- Experiential training with a Simulation Center and a surgical skills laboratory.
- Brain Injury
- Neuropsychology
- Robot-Assisted Gait Training
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Stroke
- Orthopedic
- Amputee Rehabilitation
- Cancer rehabilitation
- Brain Injury
- Orthopedic
- Cancer Rehabilitation
- Stroke
- Orthopedic
- Amputee Rehabilitation
- Lymphedema
In addition to the many educational and career benefits of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program, residents will receive financial benefits.
Learn moreApplication Criteria
If you would like to apply for our residency program, we only accept standard electronic applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Please submit your ERAS application to us. Please contact your school for specific information on the ERAS program.
Many times we receive inquiries from international medical grads as to whether we can accept IMGs. The answer is yes (and we will sponsor their visa). We sponsor J-1, F-1, H-1B, TN, EAC and Green Cards. All fees will need to be paid by the prospective employee. The only fee that Atrium Health pays is the $1,000 fee required by the INS for processing an H-1B visa. The person offered the position must have a current work authorization before they can start.