SurveyPM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation2025

Medical schools producing the most physical medicine and rehabilitation residents: An analysis of matriculating residents from 2017 to 2021.

Devon T Shannon, Paige M Chase, Bailey W Frei and 2 others

PMID 39022821

WHAT IT FOUND

Osteopathic schools produced most PM&R residents.

Interest groups and rotations, not home programs, were key factors. Osteopathic students matched into PM&R at 2.87% versus 1.20% for allopathic students.

Key findings

01Nine of the top 11 medical schools producing PM&R residents were osteopathic, with a higher matriculation rate (2.87%) than allopathic schools (1.20%).

02Only three of the top 11 schools had a home PM&R residency program, but all top six schools had a registered PM&R interest group.

03Survey respondents identified faculty/resident exposure and curriculum exposure as the primary factors influencing students to choose PM&R.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they found

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What it does not show

Data were limited to publicly available information, so residents who did not complete training or whose medical school affiliation was unclear were not fully accounted for. Multistate campuses could not be distinguished, so it is unclear which specific campus influenced student choices. The analysis excluded nontraditional graduates, potentially inflating the apparent matriculation rates. Survey responses were deidentified, preventing correlation of specific resources with specific schools.

Declared interests

None declared.

The easy way to misread this

Do not conclude that home residency programs are unnecessary for recruitment. The study shows they are less common among top producers than previously thought, but exposure through interest groups and rotations remains critical.

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The study

Participants
2082 residents matched; 22 schools surveyed (15 responses)
Certainty of evidence
Low

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    Cite

    Devon T Shannon, Paige M Chase, Bailey W Frei, et al. Medical schools producing the most physical medicine and rehabilitation residents: An analysis of matriculating residents from 2017 to 2021. PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation. 2025.

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