Physiatrists are the main professionals found in the physiatry, which is a pretty old medical specialty. A physiatrist is a licensed physician concerned with assisting and treating people with physical deficiencies and disabilities due to illnesses and injury. He is responsible for creating and enforcing a treatment program for a patient that involves therapeutic and rehabilitating exercise and medication for chronic pain caused by the injury or illness. For instance, a patient hit by partial paralysis or chronic pain may need a physiatrist to help in conditioning and treating the musculoskeletal problems brought about by the stroke. If you’d like to become a physical rehabilitation doctor, use these tips to learn more about physiatry careers.
History
This medical profession actually started in World War II when an Army doctor named Howard Rusk began providing patients with alternative treatments involving psychological, sociological, mental and emotional healing accompanied with physical rehabilitation. He applied these methods to soldiers severely injured in the war.
Education
A career as a physiatrist starts with a bachelor’s degree in a pre-medicine program such as biology, physics, chemistry or psychology. You can earn this degree from a brick-and-mortar college or from one of the many excellent, accredited online medical schools available. Once the undergraduate coursework is completed, the next step will be the taking of the MCAT or Medical College Admissions Test to enable a person to attend medical school. After five years of medical school, the state medical board exam is the next step to becoming a licensed doctor. Obviously, the aspirant will want to specialize in physiatry. In that case, he or she must enter a residency program in physiatry, which he will engage in his final year of medical school. The residency will take a minimum of three years to complete. A one year fellowship in physiatry will follow afterward. After completing the fellowship, the physician can now get certified as a specialist in the field of physiatry through the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or ABPMR. A written and oral exam will be required before they can certify the physician as a specialist.
Professional Objectives
A physiatrist comes into the picture of a patient if he or she is physically limited in terms of functions due to certain medical conditions. Patients having loss of function, disabilities or physical impairments accompanied by chronic pain will need a physiatrist. Basically, anything that impedes the daily living functions of a patient will be the focus of a physiatrist.
Treatment Methods
A physiatrist can turn to various treatment methods in order to assist the physical incapacity or pain. Exercise routines, a hot and cold compress, electrical stimulation, steroid shots, assistive devices, medical rehabilitation, physical therapy and medication are some of the non-surgical treatment methods that a physiatrist can call upon for patients with relevant dysfunctions.
Employment
Hospitals, homes, healthcare organizations, rehabilitation centers, and physical therapy clinics and offices are some of the best places a physiatrist can find rehabilitation jobs. Some individuals may even privately hire physiatrists on retainer, especially if home treatment is the viable option. Normally, a physiatrist is part of a rehabilitation team that works collectively to assist the patient in recovering physical functions.
Salary
A physiatrist is paid pretty well depending of course, on the employer and work setting. The average annual salary of a physiatrist ranges from $190,000 to $280,000 with more experienced ones taking the upper echelon of the salary range.