Continuing medical education - Interests of former and current residents of a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program

To plan targeted, relevant continuing medical educational activities, a stu dy was undertaken to assess demographic data, practice patterns, and curren t continuing medical educational needs of farmer graduates of the physical medicine and rehabilitation program. A survey was sent to the 168 physician s who had completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency progra m from 1961 to 1995 and to the 34 then current residents in the program. Qu estions were asked regarding gender, year of completion of residency, certi fication, fellowships, current employment situation, size of practice commu nity, work time distribution, and busiest areas of clinical practice. In ad dition, from a list of 47 topics plus "other," the respondents indicated in which topics they had a current strong interest in continuing their educat ion. They also responded to questions about their most important considerat ions when deliberating about attending an educational activity, the amount of notice required regarding an upcoming course, and the preferred duration of educational activities. The response rate of former residents was 56% a nd of then current residents was 100%. Topics of interest to greater than h alf of the respondents, in descending order, were musculoskeletal/soft tiss ue disorders, therapeutic injections/nerve blocks, industrial medicine, bac k and neck pain rehabilitation, and sports-related disorders. There were si gnificant differences on some topics based on gender, year of residency com pletion, academic affiliation, private practice, and ratings of residency t raining in that topic. The most important consideration when deciding wheth er to attend an educational activity was, by far, interest in topic, follow ed by provision of continuing medical educational credits. There are among physiatrists several differences in educational interests that challenge co ntinuing medical education planners to determine efficient, effective ways to deliver continuing medical education to meet these needs within the fina ncial and time constraints imposed by today's clinical practice.