Curriculum

Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation

Our 12-bed acute inpatient pediatric rehabilitation unit was opened in 2003 at the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) and is a joint venture between MedStar NRH and Children’s National. MedStar NRH is a free-standing 118-bed hospital. There are approximately 100 admissions to the pediatric unit per year with average daily census of 8 patients. The most common conditions include: traumatic and non-traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain tumors and other forms of cancer, neuromuscular disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders and injuries.

Currently, the unit is hosted at Children’s National due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Inpatient Consultation

Founded in 1870, Children’s National is one of the nation’s oldest independent children’s hospitals. Children’s National is a free-standing over 300-bed tertiary pediatric hospital. Children’s National has over 10,000 inpatient admissions per year. The Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine fellows participate in inpatient consultations at Children’s National (over 1,400 per year) for patients admitted to the Neonatal ICU, Cardiac ICU and Pediatric ICU as well as the Neurology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Oncology, General Pediatrics and Trauma services.

Outpatient Experience

There are over 3,700 outpatient visits per year in the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) at Children’s National. As part of the outpatient rotation, the PRM fellows attend general PRM clinics for children with a variety of functional deficits, including those secondary to: brain injury, cerebral palsy, abnormal tone, developmental delay, musculoskeletal disorders, rheumatologic and connective tissue disorders, genetic disorders, oncologic diagnoses and limb deficiency/amputation. Fellows also see patients in multidisciplinary clinics/programs, including but not limited to:

• Assistive Technology
• Brachial Plexus Injury
• Cerebral Palsy
• Complex Movement Disorder
• Concussion
• COVID Longitudinal Care Clinic
• Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center
• Myelin Disorder
• Neuro-Oncology
• Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
• Pain Management
• Perinatal Brain Injury
• Spina Bifida/ Spinal Cord Injury
• Therapeutic Equipment and Brace clinics  
• Torticollis

Procedural Training 

Fellows are trained in the procedures related to the field of pediatric rehabilitation medicine, including chemodenervation with botulinum toxin and neurolysis with phenol. There are opportunities to gain exposure to electrodiagnostic studies and intrathecal baclofen pump management.

Rotation Schedule Example

*Outpatient rotation outside of the Division of PRM

Didactic Education

• Division of PRM weekly didactic series covers the critical elements of the ABPMR curriculum for Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and includes lectures/seminars, case presentations with analysis and journal clubs.
• The PRM fellows complete training in the Fellows' College at Children’s National.
• Children’s National Grand Rounds, Children’s National Neuroscience Series and Pediatric Neuroradiology Rounds.
• Ethics rounds are facilitated by members of the Children’s National Ethics Committee.
• Participation in national conferences (one per year) pertaining to Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine.
• The fellows play an integral role as part of the training program for PM&R residents from MedStar NRH and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
• The PRM fellows participate in the training of other rotating residents and medical students through daily supervision in the clinical settings, formal lectures and other didactics.