Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Training Program

Program Overview

The mission of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program is to provide our residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to be highly competent and compassionate physiatrists, prepare them for careers of lifelong learning, and demonstrate, through example, the importance of character and professionalism in the delivery of healthcare. We teach our residents to advocate for their patients, especially the most vulnerable with limited resources, in a variety of clinical settings and communities so that every patient can receive the healthcare and support they need to recover to the fullest extent possible.

WMC Residency Training Program at a Glance

• Four-year ACGME-accredited categorical PM&R residency
• Individualized mentorship and faculty access
• Training across a diverse network of inpatient, outpatient, pediatric, VA, community, and tertiary care settings
• Dedicated rotations in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, acquired brain injury rehabilitation, pediatric rehabilitation, and electrodiagnostic medicine
• Strong collaboration with New York Medical College
• Hybrid didactic curriculum accessible from all training sites
• Early exposure to PM&R beginning in the PGY-1 year
• Elective opportunities throughout all four years of training
• Strong commitment to resident wellness, professional development, and lifelong learning

Clinical Rotations

Rotation Schedules & Training Experiences

Recruitment FAQs

How many residents are accepted each year?

The program accepts four residents per year for a total complement of 16 residents.

Is the program categorical?

Yes. Residents match directly into a four-year categorical PM&R residency program.

When are residency interviews conducted?

Residency interviews are typically conducted between November and January. Selected applicants will receive interview invitations and scheduling instructions through Thalamus.

Does the program offer First Look or Second Look events?

Yes. The WMC PM&R Residency Program hosts a virtual First Look/Meet the Residents event during September or October for prospective applicants interested in learning more about our program, curriculum, training sites, and resident experience.

Following the conclusion of interview season, the program also hosts an optional in-person Second Look event in late January or early February. This resident-led event provides applicants with an opportunity to tour our facilities, meet current residents, learn more about the training environment, and explore the Westchester Medical Center campus. Participation in the Second Look is entirely optional and has no impact on an applicant’s rank status or ranking by the program.

Are there elective opportunities?

Elective experiences are available throughout all four years of residency training. Residents can explore medical subspecialties during the PGY-1 year and pursue focused PM&R and interdisciplinary interests through dedicated elective rotations in the PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 years.

Do you offer elective rotations for medical students?

Yes. Westchester Medical Center offers a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation elective for fourth-year medical students interested in exploring the specialty and learning more about our residency program. Visiting students may apply through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program under New York Medical College.

Do residents participate in research?

Yes. Residents are encouraged to participate in scholarly activities, quality improvement, and research projects throughout training.

Our Clinical Locations

Westchester Medical Center (WMC) is a 652-bed tertiary and quaternary acute care hospital, level 1 trauma center, burn center, comprehensive stroke center, and major teaching affiliate of New York Medical College (NYMC). Serving as the primary training site, WMC provides PGY-1 training in the fundamental clinical skills including internal medicine, emergency medicine, neurology, radiology and orthopedics. PGY-2 through PGY-4 training includes broad educational experiences in acute inpatient rehabilitation (18-bed unit), outpatient PM&R, sports medicine, neurorehabilitation, spasticity clinic, electrodiagnosis, interventional spine / musculoskeletal / pain clinic, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and prosthetics/orthotics. WMC is the site of the didactics program, journal club, CME grand rounds, musculoskeletal and neuroradiology rounds, complex cases series, and board review series. The core anatomy lectures and lab sessions also occur on the combined WMC / NYMC Valhalla campus. A broad array of clinical research and elective opportunities are offered at WMC and in collaboration with the NYMC School of Health Sciences and Practice, which offers degree programs in physical therapy and speech language pathology and houses the Centers on Disability and Health, Medical Outcomes Research, and Long-Term Care.

MidHudson Regional Hospital (MHRH), one of 11 hospitals within the WMCHealth network, is a 243-bed acute care hospital and level II trauma center located in Dutchess County, NY, a designated medically underserved non-rural area. This site houses an 18-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation unit, an outpatient physiatry clinic, and an outpatient therapy center. Residents rotate through both the inpatient unit and outpatient physiatry clinic where they gain early exposure to electrodiagnosis, Botox injections and other clinic-based procedures. All WMC-based didactics are presented on a hybrid platform (remotely and in person) and therefore available for participation from this site.

The James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is a 311-bed facility with a 48-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation service, located in Bronx, NY. It is named after James J. Peters, a US army veteran, who established several organizations that provide support for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Residents rotate through the SCI rehabilitation program, including a dedicated SCI inpatient unit, and receive training in the medical and rehabilitative management of this patient population. This educational experience is supplemented by participation in several of the specialty clinics including wheelchair seating clinic, neuromuscular disorders clinic, and prosthetics/orthotics clinic. The VAMC also houses a center of excellence in SCI research. Resident didactics are offered onsite. All WMC-based didactics are presented on a hybrid platform (remotely and in person) and therefore available for participation from this site.

Blythedale Children’s Hospital (BCH) is a 118-bed specialty care children’s hospital treating children with complex medical and rehabilitative needs. Fifteen beds are dedicated to pediatric inpatient rehabilitation. At BCH, residents rotate through an array of specialized pediatric rehabilitation services. Experiences include the pediatric rehabilitation unit, pediatric physiatry consult service, the day treatment hospital, the orthotics clinic, and the adaptive/assistive equipment and wheelchair seating assessment clinics. Residents participate in the extensive on-site didactics curriculum. All WMC-based didactics are presented on a hybrid platform (remotely and in person) and therefore available for participation from this site.

The Grove at Valhalla Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is a 160-bed nursing facility located minutes from WMC and houses two subacute rehabilitation units and two long term care units. Our PM&R residents gain valuable experience in subacute rehabilitation and how it differs from acute inpatient rehabilitative care. Residents round with the facility’s geriatric specialist and medical director, attend team conferences, and observe subacute geriatric rehabilitative treatment approaches in the facility’s expansive rehabilitation gym. All WMC-based didactics are presented on a hybrid platform (remotely and in person) and therefore available for participation from this site.

The NYMC gross anatomy lab is also located on the Valhalla campus and provides the residents training and education in anatomy through active dissection of cadavers, detailed examination of prosected specimens, and an anatomy didactics program. 

The NYMC School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) is located on the combined campuses of Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College. SHSP houses a Physical Therapy doctoral program and Speech Language Pathology Master’s program, a Bioethics Program, the Center on Disability and Health, and the Center for Long-Term Care. The mission of the Center on Disability and Health is to promote health and access to care for people with disabilities, prevent secondary conditions and eliminate disparities between people with and without disabilities. The Center for Long-Term Care conducts research, education, and public policy development designed to improve the quality of long-term care and address healthcare disparities, healthcare needs and caregiving, and to promote strategies for fair and equitable financing of long-term care. This center plays an important role in providing education and training specific to disparities in healthcare and access to healthcare.

The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) is also located on the combined campuses. WIHD’s mission is to help persons with disabilities live healthy and productive lies as full members of society. Services include audiology, assistive technology, adaptive and assistive equipment, physical and occupational therapy, speech language pathology, psychology, dental, and primary care for over 5000 persons with disabilities.

Burke Rehabilitation Hospital is a 150-bed acute rehabilitation hospital located in Westchester County. Residents will receive training and education in the medical and rehabilitative care and management of patients with traumatic brain injury on the secure 30-bed TBI unit. Clinical and teaching rounds will focus on assessment tools, neurobehavioral management, complications of TBI such as spasticity and heterotopic ossification, prognosis, rehabilitation strategies, and continuum of care. Teaching rounds will be supplemented by on-site didactics. All WMC-based didactics will be presented on a hybrid platform (remotely and in person) and therefore available for participation from this site.