College of Medicine MD Curriculum

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Elective (4 weeks)

Title of Course: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Elective (4 week)

Elective Year(s): Fourth Year

Department: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Type of Elective: Clinical

Course Site: Coghlin Rehabilitation Institute

Course Number: PMNR 701

Blocks Available: All

Number of Students/Block: 2

Faculty: Steven J. Farrell, Md, Ashley Schneider, MD, Sharleen Suico, MD, and Christian Wuescher, MD

Elective Description/Requirements: The PM&R clinical elective focuses on the impairments and disabilities which may accompany a variety of illnesses. Students in this rotation will have the opportunity to experience the breadth of physical medicine and rehabilitation. The educational experience will occur Monday through Friday. The hours each day for training will average 8, but may be more depending upon the attending, clinic schedules, and student interest. The student will be assigned to a specific faculty member as their primary teaching attending, but will also interact with PM&R residents and other PM&R faculty. Faculty contact will average six hours per day. At the end of the rotation, with the help of their teaching attending, students will give a brief presentation on a rehab topic of interest.

Length of Course: 4 weeks

Educational Course Objectives:

1. Describe the types of functional impairments, disabilities, and handicaps which might present in a variety of common diseases (diagnoses). (EPOs: MK-1, PC-6)
2. Given a patient with a disabling condition, identify those medical conditions for which the patient is at risk due to bed rest or disability (ex: DVT, pressure sores, bowel and bladder dysfunction, frozen shoulder). (EPOs: MK-1, MK-4, PC-6)
3. Develop a preventative medical strategy to avoid the medical complications associated with disability. (EPOs: MK-4)
4. Given a patient with a disabling condition, describe the role of allied health professionals in maximizing functional recovery in a disabled individual. (EPOs: IPC-2, SBP-1, SBP-5)
5. Distinguish whether the patient with a disabling medical condition may be helped by rehabilitative services and what the most appropriate and cost‐effective setting is for that service. (EPOs: SBP-3, SBP-4)
6. Musculoskeletal conditions ‐
   1. perform a thorough supervised examination on patients with back pain. (EPOs: PC-1)
   2. distinguish which patients with back pain would benefit from surgery from those that would not by using history, physical, radiological and laboratory information. (EPOs: PC-1, PC-6)
   3. develop a treatment strategy incorporating medical and rehabilitative therapeutics for patients with musculoskeletal problems. (EPOs: PC-6, PC-7)
   4. delineate a management strategy for treatment for patients with myofascial pain. (EPOs: PC-7)
   5. appropriately use electrodiagnostic studies to assist with diagnosis for patients with weakness and/or sensory deficits. (EPOs: PC-6)
7. Neurologic conditions –
   1. articulate a hierarchical approach to management for patients with spasticity as part of upper motor neuron syndrome. (EPOs: PC-6, PC-7)
   2. develop a plan of evaluation for correctable causes for the patient with cognitive/neurobehavioral deficits after cerebral disease and generate a strategy for amelioration of these deficits incorporating medical and rehabilitative interventions.(EPOs: PC-6, PC-9)
   3. distinguish the etiology using physical examination and laboratory data and then implement a treatment strategy under supervision. (EPOs: PC-1, PC-6)
   4. assess the level of spinal cord injury and accurately complete an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) assessment under supervision. (EPOs: MK-1, MK-4, PC-6, PC-7)

Professionalism: UT/COMLS students will meet or exceed the institutional standards for professionalism as stated in the current Educational Program Objectives, particularly with respect to professionalism in interactions with patients and instructors, as well as with punctuality and attentiveness.

Instructional Methods:

1. Clinical case presentations/discussions
2. Diagnostic tests ‐ use/interpretation
3. Inpatient teaching rounds
4. Lecture ‐ small group
5. Monitored clinical practice
6. Small group ‐ facilitated

Assessment Methods:

1. Evaluation of participation in small group discussions
2. M4 clinical elective assessment

Prerequisites: Completion of required Internal Medicine or Family Medicine rotations required

Clerkship Director: Steven J. Farrell, MD

Clerkship Coordinator: Wendy Gobbell
Phone Number: 419-383-5090
Email: wendy.gobbel@utoledo.edu

Special Requirements: None

ECC Approved
December 2025