Occupation · SOC 29-1229.04
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
Diagnose and treat disorders requiring physiotherapy to provide physical, mental, and occupational rehabilitation.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
64 mapped
Core skills
Critical ThinkingSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionActive ListeningJudgment and Decision MakingWritingMonitoringCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingService OrientationInstructingActive LearningTime ManagementSystems EvaluationSciencePersuasionLearning StrategiesSystems AnalysisManagement of Personnel ResourcesMathematicsQuality Control AnalysisNegotiationOperations MonitoringOperations AnalysisTechnology DesignManagement of Material ResourcesTroubleshootingOperation and ControlManagement of Financial ResourcesProgrammingEquipment SelectionRepairingInstallationEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryPsychologyBiologyTherapy and CounselingEducation and TrainingEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementPersonnel and Human ResourcesSociology and AnthropologyLaw and GovernmentChemistryComputers and ElectronicsMathematicsEconomics and AccountingCommunications and MediaAdministrativePublic Safety and SecurityPhilosophy and TheologySales and MarketingPhysicsMechanicalEngineering and TechnologyForeign LanguageProduction and ProcessingDesignTransportationTelecommunicationsGeographyHistory and ArcheologyFine ArtsBuilding and ConstructionFood Production
Technology & tools
Allscripts PMAutomatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHRBenchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHRBiodex Medical Systems Biodex Concussion ManagerBizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCareCloud CentralCerner PowerWorks Practice ManagementEmail softwareEpic Practice ManagementGE Healthcare Centricity Practice SolutionGalacTek ECLIPSEGreenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITEHealthFusion MediTouchIOS Health Systems Medios EHRKareo Practice ManagementMcKesson Practice PlusMicrosoft WordModernizing Medicine Practice ManagementNextGen Healthcare NextGen Practice ManagementNuesoft Technologies NueMDOmniMD PT./OT EHRVitera Healthcare Solutions Vitera IntergyWRSHealth EMRathenahealth athenaCollectoreClinicalWorks EHR softwaresimplifyMD
Representative tasks
Assisting and Caring for OthersDocumenting/Recording InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeGetting InformationCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProcessing InformationJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsWorking with ComputersAnalyzing Data or InformationTraining and Teaching OthersOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationCoaching and Developing OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicDeveloping and Building TeamsDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersThinking CreativelyEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesControlling Machines and ProcessesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsStaffing Organizational UnitsSelling or Influencing OthersRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient mobility and strength assessments — conduct under attending physician supervision using standardized examination protocols in an inpatient rehabilitation unit.Pain characteristics including intensity, location, and duration — document using validated clinical scales under direct guidance in an acute care or outpatient clinic setting.Examination findings and initial treatment observations — record accurately in electronic health records under supervision in a hospital-based physiatry practice.Neuromuscular and musculoskeletal history — gather through structured patient interviews with attending oversight in a rehabilitation medicine clinic.Standardized electrodiagnostic procedures including electromyography — perform foundational components under direct supervision in a supervised electrodiagnostic laboratory.Rehabilitation care plans — assist in drafting initial components including therapeutic exercise and occupational therapy referrals under senior physician direction.Pain management interventions such as oral medications — monitor basic patient responses and report findings to supervising physiatrists in an inpatient setting.Medical software and electronic health record systems — utilize to retrieve patient data and enter clinical notes under structured orientation in a physiatry department.Interdisciplinary rehabilitation team communications — participate in structured case conferences under attending guidance in an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.Physiatric literature and clinical guidelines — review and apply foundational evidence to patient care questions under faculty mentorship during residency training.
developing
Patient mobility, strength, cognition, and communication deficits — assess independently using systematic physical and functional examinations in outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation settings.Acute and chronic pain presentations — evaluate using standardized clinical measures and formulate differential diagnoses with reduced oversight in a physiatry clinic.Medical management of neuromuscular disorders and musculoskeletal trauma — provide routine inpatient and outpatient care with limited supervision in a rehabilitation hospital.Comprehensive rehabilitation plans incorporating therapeutic exercise, speech therapy, and caregiver education — develop for straightforward cases in an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.Electromyography and nerve conduction studies — perform and interpret independently for common neuromuscular conditions in an established electrodiagnostic laboratory.Pain management interventions including spinal injections — administer and monitor effectiveness using structured protocols in a pain management or physiatry clinic.Patient documentation including examination results, treatment plans, and outcomes — complete accurately and efficiently using electronic medical record systems in a high-volume practice.Physical medicine and rehabilitation services — coordinate with orthopedics, neurology, and primary care teams to support continuity of care in a multidisciplinary hospital setting.Patient and family education regarding rehabilitation goals and community reintegration strategies — deliver clearly and empathetically in outpatient and inpatient contexts.Outcome monitoring data — analyze to evaluate treatment effectiveness and adjust rehabilitation plans for familiar diagnostic categories in a physiatry practice.
proficient
Complex neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and pulmonary disabling conditions — manage comprehensively across inpatient and outpatient settings without oversight in a full-scope physiatry practice.Multidimensional pain assessments including intensity, temporal patterns, and functional impact — synthesize with clinical history to guide individualized management in challenging or ambiguous presentations.Advanced electrodiagnostic studies including somatosensory evoked potentials — perform and interpret autonomously for rare or diagnostically complex neuromuscular disorders in a tertiary rehabilitation center.Long-term rehabilitation plans integrating cognitive retraining, counseling, and community reintegration — develop independently for patients with polytrauma, amputation, or acquired brain injury.Non-routine pain management interventions — evaluate efficacy, modify regimens, and pivot strategies for refractory cases in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program.Rehabilitation services integration across surgical, medical, and behavioral health disciplines — lead coordination to ensure seamless, patient-centered care in a complex academic medical center.Prognostic communication regarding functional recovery and quality of life — deliver with clinical precision and empathy to patients, families, and caregivers facing life-altering conditions.Clinical problem-solving for atypical or rare physiatric presentations — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to formulate accurate diagnoses and treatment strategies independently.Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in physical medicine and rehabilitation — critically appraise and incorporate into individualized treatment protocols across a full patient caseload.Outcomes data from rehabilitation episodes — interpret systematically to refine practice patterns and contribute clinical insights to departmental quality improvement initiatives.
advanced
Organizational vision for physical medicine and rehabilitation services — establish and communicate strategic priorities that elevate patient outcomes at a health system or academic medical center level.Physiatric competency frameworks and training curricula — design and implement for residents and fellows to advance specialty-wide standards of electrodiagnostic and clinical practice.System-level pain management and rehabilitation protocols — develop evidence-based policies that standardize high-quality care across multiple clinical sites or a regional hospital network.Complex interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs addressing amputation, spinal cord injury, or neurological recovery — lead the design and continuous improvement of comprehensive service lines.Institutional research agendas in physiatry — direct investigative programs that generate new knowledge in neuromuscular disorders, functional restoration, or chronic pain management.Health system partnerships among rehabilitation, acute care, and community reintegration services — negotiate and sustain collaborative structures that optimize longitudinal patient care pathways.Emerging electrodiagnostic technologies and rehabilitative interventions — evaluate, advocate for, and integrate into institutional practice to maintain state-of-the-art clinical capabilities.Departmental and divisional performance metrics including patient outcomes, safety, and throughput — monitor at an executive level and lead data-driven quality and safety transformations.Professional and public health policy affecting patients with disabling conditions — influence through expert testimony, advisory roles, and advocacy at regulatory or legislative forums.Culture of empathy, integrity, and interdisciplinary collaboration — model and cultivate across physiatry faculty, trainees, and allied health staff to sustain a high-performing rehabilitation enterprise.
Also known as
20 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)Hospitalist PhysicianInterventional Pain PhysicianInterventional PhysiatristMD (Medical Doctor)Medical Director Acute Rehabilitation Unit PhysiatristMedicine PhysicianPain Management PhysicianPain Medicine PhysicianPediatric PhysiatristPhysiatristPhysiatrist ConsultantPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician (PM and R Physician)Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist (PM and R Specialist)Physical Medicine PhysicianPhysical Medicine Rehabilitation PhysiatristPhysicianRehabilitation EngineerRehabilitation PhysicianRehabilitation Specialist