1617 - Empowering Medical Students Through a Student-Led PM&R Workshop: A Pilot Study on Awareness and Understanding

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is often underrepresented in medical school curricula, leaving students unaware of its scope or career opportunities. Studies have noted that Hispanic/Latino students are less familiarized with PM&R. Early exposure has demonstrated enhanced interest in the field. To address this, we piloted a student-led, virtual PM&R workshop featuring residents and physiatrists to evaluate its impact on awareness and career consideration. 

Design:

A student-led workshop was given where PM&R residents and practicing physicians provided insight into physiatry and answered questions. Anonymous pre- and post-workshop surveys were done. The survey included fifteen questions and collected demographic data. It assessed exposure to PM&R, understanding of the scope of practice, knowledge of common interventions, interest in pursuing PM&R, and confidence in explaining the specialty to peers. Responses were measured on Likert scales (1–5) and (Yes/No) items. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test, with a threshold for significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Thirteen medical students attended the workshop, with a 100% response rate pre-conference and 92% for post-conference. Participants identified as Hispanic/Latino and 75% as first-generation medical students. Familiarity scores increased on the Likert scale from 3.85 (SD ± 1.05) to 4.83 (SD ± 0.39) (p = 0.0069). Interest in pursuing a PM&R career increased from 4.15 (SD ± 1.21) to 4.67 (SD ± 0.65) (p = 0.20). Understanding of clinical problems addressed by physiatrists increased from 3.85 (SD ± 1.07) to 4.92 (SD ± 0.28) (p=0.0018).

Conclusions:

The workshop enhanced medical students' understanding of PM&R. Although the students were already interested, the workshop deepened their comprehension of PM&R. This study demonstrates the value of student-driven initiatives and provides a model for increasing insights into underrepresented specialties. Strategies to reach out to students who have little awareness of the field remain a topic for future studies.