To work as a rehabilitation physician, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and a medical degree. An internship in medicine and a residency in rehabilitation medicine are also required. This type of physician assists people who have been disabled by injuries or illnesses in regaining as much function as possible. While each case is different, the goal for each patient is to live as independently as possible while also being pain-free. To aid the patient’s recovery, rehabilitation physicians collaborate with a team of healthcare professionals.
A medical school graduate who has completed an internship will apply to one of the 80 accredited rehabilitation medicine residency programs in the United States to become a rehabilitation physician. During this time, the physician may also consider pursuing one of the rehabilitation medicine sub-specialties. Pain, spinal cord, sport, neuromuscular and palliative medicine, and pediatric rehabilitation are among them. The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPM&R) collaborates with the certification boards of pediatrics, internal medicine, and neurology to allow graduates to be board certified in rehabilitation medicine as well as another specialty. Rehabilitation physicians can also get a master’s degree or a doctorate in their field.
A doctor must develop strong leadership and communication skills in order to become a rehabilitation physician. Each patient’s care will be overseen by a team of doctors and other healthcare providers throughout the rehabilitation process. The rehabilitation physician is usually the team leader, and he or she develops a treatment plan for each patient with input from the other medical professionals.
Rehabilitation physicians are members of the treatment team who are in charge of informing the patient’s family about their progress and any changes to the treatment plan. Rehabilitation physicians also inform the patient and his or her family when the treatment’s benefits are running out. This is a high-stress situation, so excellent interpersonal skills and empathy are essential.
A successful rehabilitation physician must be a well-rounded physician who can communicate with his peers and concerned family members, as well as patients with cognitive impairments. To become a rehabilitation physician, a doctor must complete rigorous educational requirements and maintain current knowledge of the latest rehabilitation concepts. Rehabilitation physicians typically find their work to be very rewarding, despite the fact that it is a demanding job.