Residency Program Application Process Curriculum Message from the Chief Residents Our Residents Resident Life Rotations & Locations UC Irvine/AAP Badges Project Curriculum Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program Home Research Research: Clinical Departments PM&R: Home PM&R: Education & Training PM&R: Education & Training > Residency Program PM&R: Education & Training > Residency Program > Curriculum Advanced Residency Training Our residency program offers diverse clinical rotations, dedicated didactics, research opportunities and structured call schedules to provide comprehensive training in rehabilitation medicine. Rotations Overview All PM&R rotations at UC Irvine School of Medicine are divided into three-month (approximately 10-11 week) blocks. There are five blocks per year with diverse exposure to different patient populations, co-resident interactions, attending teaching styles and practice types. PGY-2 Outpatient Rehabilitation and Research (UCIMC) Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury (LBVA) Outpatient Musculoskeletal and Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation (LBVA) Inpatient Rehabilitation (UCIMC) Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury (LBMMC) PGY-3 Pediatric Rehabilitation (LBMMC) Inpatient Rehabilitation and Consults (UCIMC) Prosthetics and Orthotics (LBVA) Electrodiagnostics (LBVA) Outpatient Pain Management and Elective (Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care) PGY-4 Outpatient Rehabilitation (UCIMC) Inpatient Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation (LBMMC) Outpatient Pain Management (LBVA) Electrodiagnostics (LBVA) Inpatient Consults (LBVA) Explore Rotations and Locations Elective Rotation for Non-PM&R Residents Residents in other specialties are welcome to rotate with our team for two or four weeks. During the rotation, you’ll manage approximately three patients in the 14-bed acute rehabilitation unit at UCI Medical Center, treating conditions such as: Brain injury Stroke Spinal cord injury Polytrauma Acute neurological disorders Amputation You’ll participate in daily rounds with the attending and PM&R residents, observe consults with the rehab service and present a topic of your choice at the end of the rotation. This elective offers a hands-on look into the daily operations of an inpatient rehab service. Plan ahead: We recommend scheduling your rotation 60–90 days in advance to ensure availability and allow time to process paperwork. Didactics Our didactic sessions are held every Thursday from 1–5 p.m. and are fully protected from clinical duties. Format: Primarily over Zoom In-Person Workshops: Ultrasound, physical exam, EMG and other procedural skills Benefits: Consistent academic learning with access to local and national speakers This hybrid approach supports a robust and flexible academic experience while maintaining hands-on clinical education. Call Schedule All call during residency is home call, taken one week at a time from Thursday evening to the following Thursday morning. Call frequency by year: PGY-2: Every 5 weeks PGY-3 & PGY-4: Every 10 weeks During their on-call week, residents round on their patients Saturday and Sunday, with support from an attending physician. Resident Research Opportunities All residents follow a three-year research plan. The department currently has faculty conducting research in these areas: Neurobiological basis of PM&R, including interrelated areas of neural plasticity, such as brain development, learning and memory, control of movements and recovery after injury Rehabilitation pharmacotherapy Scientific basis of physical medicine techniques for management of nerve and muscle dysfunction Functional magnetic stimulation Pathophysiology and management of myofascial pain syndrome Biomechanics of bone and joint Falls and functional facilitation in the elderly Complementary healthcare Clinical neurophysiology and electrodiagnosis Stem cell/regenerative medicine Robotics Technology in rehabilitation Dance medicine Residents may also undertake their own resident-initiated research project. UC Irvine/AAP Badges Project A nationally recognized, self-directed curriculum that helps PM&R residents develop essential clinical and scientific research skills. Explore the project