Medical Students Council

We are excited to welcome you to the first national PM&R Medical Student Council (MSC). The mission of the MSC is to provide meaningful opportunities for premedical and medical students to explore the field of physiatry. We aim to accomplish our mission by facilitating engaging activities, distributing valuable learning resources, coordinating mentorship connections, advocating for students, and fostering an international community of those who are passionate about physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Meet Other Passionate Medical Students

The Medical Student Council and Resident/Fellow Council (RFC) work with leaders in the field to create workshops and sessions designed for your educational and career development needs. Here’s a look at some of the previous sessions we took part in and planned:

Resident, Fellow & Medical Student Boot Camp
Beyond the Case Report: Maximizing Scholarly Activity During PM&R Training
Medical Student Quiz Bowl
Physician Financial Wellness
Fellowship Roundtable
Hot Topics Roundtable for Residents & Fellows

Stay Connected

Eager to meet your peers to learn, grow and share together? The Medical Student Council strives to create a community for all students interested in pursuing physiatry. So when we’re not connecting at the AAP’s Annual Meeting, you can find us in the below ways.

Email us if you have any ideas to share

AAP Newsletter

AAP’s Medical Student Council (MSC) regularly contributes articles to the AAP’s quarterly newsletter, Physiatry Forward. View articles written by and for future physiatrists! Interested in being published? Email our Communications Manager Liz Raubach at lraubach@physiatry.org.

Find or Be a Mentor

The MSC is proud to participate in the AAP’s Mentorship Program. We welcome medical students who range from a budding interest in PM&R to those dedicated to the specialty and who are building their applications for residency. Residents who volunteer to mentor demonstrate their passion for physiatry and the promotion of the specialty’s continued success by attracting strong future residents. Our goal is for this program to be a launching point as you continue to build your medical network.

Join Our Listserv & Online Community

All active MSC members of the AAP get access to an online community that connects you to your peers year-round. You can ask questions, share best practices and more with the simple send of an email. MSC medical students are also subscribed to a quarterly e-newsletter with all of our upcoming activities catered to our medical student community.

AAP Distinguished Medical Student Badge Program

Participate in AAP activities such as following our social media pages, participating in ‘Big Buddy,’ hosting a Journal Club, attending the AAP Annual Meeting and more! Apply for your badge.

Join the Big Buddy Family!

The AAP MSC “Big Buddy Program” can offer an informal and safe space for budding medical students to be paired with a more experienced medical student in the physiatry community. As students themselves, MS3/OMS3 and MS4/OMS4 students are acutely aware to the needs of early medical students. Traditionally, this would entail 1st and 2nd year students as mentees, and 3rd and 4th year students as mentors, however students have the option to select if they would like to be a “little buddy” or “big buddy” (regardless of academic year).

Residents mentors have now been added to the Big Buddy Program! If desired, Resident mentors can be added to new matches to form a “Big Buddy Family.” Resident mentors are used as an additional resource to supplement the ‘big buddy’ and ‘little buddy’ match. Join the Big Buddy Family.

Resource Guide for Aspiring Physiatrists

This guide is for medical students to become familiar with different programs and opportunities provided by the AAP and other physiatry-focused organizations. Read to learn about our mentorship program, MSC Virtual Journal Club, summer externships, and more! Access resource guide (members only).

Physiatry Online Directory (POD)

The AAP knows how significant the match process is for your journey to becoming a physiatrist. It’s important for programs to also find medical students who are the right fit for their unique culture. We’ve created this directory to help streamline your residency search process and make this experience as productive, positive, and stress-free as possible. The specialty of Physiatry will be participating in the Supplemental ERAS® Application, including voluntary Preference Signaling for the upcoming residency application cycle. Students can easily locate ACGME-accredited residency programs through the AAP’s PM&R Program Online Directory (POD).

Essential Articles

Updated collection coming soon.

Podcasts, Webinars, Journal Clubs, Career Advice & More!

Check out our upcoming events designed to assist with exploration of the field of PM&R and advise on the residency application and interview process through cultivated resources and virtual group advising sessions.

PM&R Fairs & Student Interest Groups

Introduce students at your medical school and surrounding schools to PM&R by holding a PM&R Fair or organizing an interest group. The AAP can help you by providing a grant of up to $1,000 to assist with costs of a fair. We also have a sample planning guide to make the most of your fair and/or interest group.