The MedStar Health—Georgetown/National Rehabilitation Hospital Residency Program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
We are a categorical program that accepts six residents per year. The MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital is the “main game in town” for rehabilitation in our major metropolitan area, which gives residents the ability to see such a broad range of pathology. You will see tons of “bread and butter” PM&R, but also the rare diagnoses you may not see everywhere. We have a great, inclusive culture here. In addition, our program believes in fostering your interests to meet your career goals. To that end, we have five months of electives in addition to a research track.
Why train here
- Categorical program in which PGY-1s become incorporated into the program through a spinal cord injury rotation, opportunities to connect with research, sports coverage, and social activities
- PGY-2 year includes a variety of specialty-specific inpatient and outpatient rotations, allowing residents to get a broad spectrum of the field early on to help with career planning
- 3 to 5 month optional research track that can be done at the National Institutes of Health
- Amazing electrodiagnosis training at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Program specifics
Inpatient rotations
Extensive training is provided in the areas of rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, arthritis, amputation, and other musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders. Residents have specialty specific inpatient rotations.
Outpatient rotations
Outpatient rotations offer exposure to these same diverse populations as well as to those individuals who require the services of the specialty clinics offered through MedStar National Rehabilitation Network and its affiliated hospitals. Rotations include exposure to spine/pain medicine, sports medicine, neurorehabilitation, orthotics/prosthetics, cancer rehabilitation, and more.
Ultrasound training
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound training begins in the PGY-2 year and continues through the Residency Training Program with a longitudinal program. Additional rotations focusing on musculoskeletal ultrasound are available.
Continuity clinic
The resident will be assigned to a continuity clinic team that begins in the PGY-2 year and continues throughout their training. Residents on inpatient rotations (12 months) may or may not participate depending on inpatient workload. Residents on all other rotations will participate weekly. Residents are supervised and mentored by faculty physiatrists.
Didactic training
Residents participate in a variety of structured and regular didactic instructional sessions, which include the Ultrasound Lecture Series, Electrodiagnostic Series, Musculoskeletal anatomy/pathology/physical examination Series, Board Review, Journal Club, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Grand Rounds, and more.
Quality improvement
All residents participate in quality improvement initiatives during their tenure in the Residency Training Program. Residents receive formal education in process improvement methodology and design.
Research
All residents are required to participate in a scholarly project during their tenure in the Residency Training Program. All residents will spend part of their training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Curriculum and rotations
PGY-2 year (all rotations one month unless otherwise specified)
- Inpatient stroke
- Outpatient neurorehabilitation
- Inpatient brain injury (2 months)
- Patient safety/quality improvement (2 weeks)
- Prosthetics/orthotics (2 weeks)
- Inpatient musculoskeletal
- Inpatient general rehabilitation (2 months)
- Outpatient sports/spine
- Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation
- Inpatient spinal cord injury
- Outpatient pain medicine or elective
PGY-3 year (all rotations one month unless otherwise specified)
- EMG (3 months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – cannot rotate at this site if you have dual citizenship)
- Outpatient pain medicine or elective
- Inpatient spinal cord injury
- Inpatient consults (at MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
- Pediatric rehabilitation consults (Children’s National Medical Center)
- Outpatient pediatric rehabilitation (Children’s National Medical Center)
- Inpatient stroke
- Elective or outpatient sports/spine
- NIH Outpatient/consults
- Elective
PGY-4 year (all rotations one month unless otherwise specified)
- Inpatient consults (MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
- Inpatient musculoskeletal
- Elective (3 months)
- EMG (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center)
- Elective or outpatient sports/spine
- Outpatient cancer rehabilitation
- Outpatient at Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (2 months)
- Inpatient brain injury
- Outpatient neurorehabilitation
Contact us
Eric Wisotzky, MD
MedStar GUH/NRH Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Residency Program
Program Director
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
102 Irving Street, NW, Room 2135
Washington, D.C., 20010