Geographic Proximity of Medical Students to PM&R Residency Programs is Associated with Increased Match Rates into PM&R

Abstract

Abstract Despite the growing popularity of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) as a specialty among medical students, meaningful experiences and mentorship can be challenging to obtain and may significantly vary depending on opportunities available to interact with physiatrists. This study explores the association between the geographic proximity of PM&R residency programs to medical schools and the match rate of medical students into PM&R from 2019 to 2021. Data on US medical schools, graduates, and PM&R residency programs were collected from publicly available sources, and a sample of 1,193 PM&R residents from US medical schools was analyzed using a one-sample proportion test. The proportion of PM&R residents originating from medical schools with PM&R residency programs in the same metropolitan area was significantly greater than the corresponding proportion of expected residents based on medical school graduates, even when controlling for medical school affiliations with PM&R residency programs. These findings suggest that exposure and opportunities provided by PM&R residency programs may influence nearby medical students and that expanding residency programs into geographic regions without existing PM&R programs may foster interest and promote growth in the field of physiatry.