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

Background: Residency choice is often influenced by experiences in medical school. It is unclear what potential factors contribute to medical schools producing higher numbers of physical medicine & rehabilitation (PM&R) residents. Objective: To identify the medical schools producing the most PM&R residents from 2017 to 2021 and potential influencing factors toward this production. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Setting: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited PM&R programs; allopathic/osteopathic/international medical schools. Interventions: REDCap Survey. Participants: Representatives from medical schools producing the most PM&R residents. Methods: The medical schools that produced the most PM&R residents from 2017 to 2021 were identified using publicly available information on the internet. A subgroup of the highest producing schools were surveyed to determine potential factors that contributed to production of PM&R residents. Main Outcome Measure: Medical schools with the highest number of matriculated PM&R residents from 2017 to 2021; potential factors influencing matriculating PM&R residents. Results: The medical school that produced the most PM&R residents from 2017 to 2021 was New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. Nine of the 11 medical schools producing the most PM&R residents were osteopathic. Of osteopathic graduates applying to residency, 2.87% matriculated into PM&R residencies compared to 1.21% of allopathic graduates (p < .001), though a greater number of allopathic graduates overall were represented. Among survey respondents 93.3% (14/15) attributed exposure to PM&R faculty/residents and exposure to PM&R through medical school curriculum as perceived factors contributing to production of PM&R residents. Conclusion: Osteopathic medical schools accounted for most of the schools producing the highest number of PM&R residents. A statistically significant higher percentage of osteopathic graduates were found to pursue PM&R as a career compared to allopathic counterparts although the total number of students entering PM&R was greater from allopathic schools. Potential factors contributing to medical students pursuing PM&R included faculty/resident involvement with medical students, and PM&R exposure through curriculum or interest groups.