What You'll Do

  • Instruct interns and residents in the diagnosis and treatment of temporary or permanent physically disabling conditions.
  • Conduct physical tests, such as functional capacity evaluations, to determine injured workers' capabilities to perform the physical demands of their jobs.
  • Assess characteristics of patients' pain, such as intensity, location, or duration, using standardized clinical measures.
  • Monitor effectiveness of pain management interventions, such as medication or spinal injections.
  • Examine patients to assess mobility, strength, communication, or cognition.
  • Document examination results, treatment plans, and patients' outcomes.
  • Diagnose or treat performance-related conditions, such as sports injuries or repetitive-motion injuries.
  • Develop comprehensive plans for immediate and long-term rehabilitation, including therapeutic exercise, speech and occupational therapy, counseling, cognitive retraining, patient, family or caregiver education, or community reintegration.
  • Prescribe physical therapy to relax the muscles and improve strength.
  • Coordinate physical medicine and rehabilitation services with other medical activities.

Essential Skills

Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.88/5
Writing 3.75/5
Monitoring 3.75/5
Coordination 3.75/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.75/5
Active Learning 3.62/5
Instructing 3.62/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.

Common styles

Integrity, Attention to Detail, Concern for Others, Persistence, Self-Control

Want a personal read on fit. Take the free assessment and see your exact compatibility with this career and many related roles.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.12/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.12/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Expression 3.88/5
Information Ordering 3.88/5

Technologies & Tools

Allscripts PM athenahealth athenaCollector Automatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHR Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR Biodex Medical Systems Biodex Concussion Manager Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR CareCloud Central Cerner PowerWorks Practice Management eClinicalWorks EHR software Email software Epic Practice Management GalacTek ECLIPSE GE Healthcare Centricity Practice Solution Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE HealthFusion MediTouch IOS Health Systems Medios EHR Kareo Practice Management McKesson Practice Plus Microsoft Word Modernizing Medicine Practice Management

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.87/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.82/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.78/5)
  • Persistence (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.67/5)

Want to see how YOUR work style matches this career?

Take Free 15-Min Assessment →

How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

Similar Careers to Explore

Naturopathic Physicians

99.7% similar profile

General Internal Medicine Physicians

99.6% similar profile

Acupuncturists

99.6% similar profile

Acute Care Nurses

99.5% similar profile

Podiatrists

99.2% similar profile

Audiologists

99.2% similar profile

Neurologists

99.1% similar profile

Pediatricians, General

99.1% similar profile

Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Interventional Pain Physician Interventional Physiatrist MD (Medical Doctor) Medical Director Acute Rehabilitation Unit Physiatrist Medicine Physician Pain Management Physician Pain Medicine Physician Pediatric Physiatrist Physiatrist Physiatrist Consultant Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician (PM and R Physician) Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist (PM and R Specialist) Physical Medicine Physician Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Physiatrist Physician Rehabilitation Engineer Rehabilitation Physician Rehabilitation Specialist