Message from the Chair

"We encourage all prospective applicants to learn more about our exciting programs and opportunities. Please contact us to start the dialogue."

As the Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), I invite you to learn more about our specialty and our program, which focus on helping individuals rebuild their lives following injury or illness. In fact, more than 60 million people in the U.S. are living with a disabling condition and that number is expected to grow – along with an increasing demand for PMR services.

Our department is comprised of dedicated clinicians and researchers, who work at our Newark campus, as well as at our affiliated clinical sites at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, the VA New Jersey Health Care System, and Children's Specialized Hospital, and the Kessler Foundation Research Center. We also have numerous private practitioners involved in our department who play an active role in the education of our students and residents.

Physicians who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation -- physiatrists -- care for patients with a range of acute and chronic physical and neurologic disorders including musculoskeletal/sports injuries, spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, amputation, orthopedic trauma, cancer, and other disabling injuries or illnesses. Our specialty works in an interdisciplinary model to medically manage these disorders while focusing on restoring function, reducing morbidity, improving quality of life, and helping both the patient and family understand the impact of the condition. This includes performing diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, including, for example, limb and spinal injections with various methods of electrodiagnostic (EMG or electrical stimulation) or radiographic (fluoroscopic or ultrasound) guidance.

Our PM&R department is involved in teaching medical students at Rutgers NJMS during all four years of the medical school curriculum, as well as welcoming many students from other accredited schools for elective rotations. Given our strong reputation in education and training, our PM&R residency program is among the most sought after in the country and our graduates have become national leaders in this field.

Our faculty, resident physicians and facilities create an environment for excellence in patient care, medical education and rehabilitation research. We welcome your inquiries about our outstanding opportunities for medical student rotations or our residency and fellowship programs.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at:

Sk1641@njms.rutgers.edu or skirshblum@selectmedical.com

Our office staff can be reached at 973-972-3606.  

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Steven Kirshblum MD