Bringing rehabilitation medicine to light: Preliminary outcomes of a novel multi-institutional workshop for high school students.

Background: Awareness of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is limited among students, contributing to underrepresentation in the field. Underrepresentation can be tackled through early exposure, which has shown promise as early as high school in inspiring future physicians.

Objective: To develop a structured, multi-institutional half-day workshop to introduce high school students to PM&R, highlighting innovative technologies and approaches.

Design: The workshop involved collaboration between physicians, medical students, and premedical students from New York City. The curriculum included lectures on PM&R, discussion about virtual reality, and hands-on activities like ultrasound training, yoga, medical device design, and networking with doctors and students.

Setting: Multi-institutional.

Participants: High school students.

Interventions: Half-day workshop.

Main outcome measure: Baseline knowledge of PM&R, demographics, learning environment, and workshop learning objectives post workshop and at 3-month follow-up.

Results: Seventy-nine students attended the workshop and 69 students completed the preworkshop survey, with 65% self-identifying as female. Most participants (71%) belonged to an underrepresented racial minority group and/or were prospective first-generation medical students. None had prior experience shadowing or being mentored by a PM&R physician. Postworkshop results (n = 63) indicate a significant increase in the appreciation of virtual reality in medicine, yoga as rehab, the importance of continuity of care, and overall understanding of PM&R and the physiatrists' role (p < .05). Three-month follow-up (n = 23) demonstrates sustained outcomes and no significant differences in metrics such as interest in medicine and PM&R (p > .05).

Conclusion: This workshop is the first to provide structured mentorship and lectures to high school students within PM&R, highlighting innovative technologies and approaches. The curriculum was well received by students and successfully promoted awareness and interest in PM&R, both short and long-term. The results could inspire other programs and specialties to adapt the workshop curriculum.