Membership Information
Educational Experiences
Our AOCPMR Chapters Rock!
By joining AOCPMR and getting involved in your medical school’s chapter of the AOCPMR, you’ll have the best of what your school and local community can offer in terms of exposure to PM&R, while also reaping the benefits of joining a medical specialty college. Our student chapters are more than a club on campus or an interest group- they’re extensions of the AOCPMR professional family at your doorstep, and you’ll notice the difference immediately!
Learn more about PM&R
By participating in AOCPMR, members can learn more about the numerous disciplines within and the future direction of the specialty.
Workshops
Student members participate in clinical workshops sponsored by AOCPMR, from physical examination skills, to diagnostic techniques such as EMG and nerve conduction studies, to musculoskeletal ultrasound, and more.
National Meetings
Student members are invited to participate in regional and national PM&R events both sponsored by or in conjunction with AOCPMR.
National Student Conference!
This unique student-focused is the only national PM&R conference for medical students in the country! The program is designed to introduce students to the specialty, while also guiding first-year through fourth-year medical students on their path to obtaining a PM&R residency. With opportunities to meet program directors, residents, fellow medical students, and PM&R educators, this event itself is worth becoming a member of AOCPMR!
Research
Members have access to research opportunities across the country, the opportunity to network with other students who participated in research and updates about current research in the specialty.
Speaker Bureau
Members can take advantage of the expertise within the College by working with our Student Council to bring the latest in PM&R to your campus. Our dynamic and student-friendly speakers are active with our student chapters every week throughout the country, and are available for your chapter too!
Networking
Meet people with similar interests
Spending time around people with similar interests increases your moral and keeps you motivated.
Access to PM&R-specific knowledge
You will come across information that you might not otherwise get in your classes or rotations. This will help lay a solid foundation of knowledge for you to work off of as you dive further into your career.
Access to experts
You can hear firsthand from experts in the specialty.
Advice about 3rd and 4th year
You can ask current students and residents all those burning questions from what to expect on rotations, where to find them, which books or articles are important to read and how to get a leg up etc…
Get the Residency Advantage!
Aside from board exams and navigating 3rd/4th year, there is nothing more important than learning what it takes to obtain a residency in PM&R. Our residents, program directors, selection committee interviewers, and faculty embers will set you on your path toward tour goals, so you can be ahead of the curve and focus on what is most important to you- getting the residency spot you seek.
Mentoring
Members have the opportunity to be set up with a physiatrist mentor in the discipline of their choice through the college.
Meet your peers from across the country, and make friends!
Find out how your peers are staying involved with PM&R. This way you can learn new ways to stay active, make sure you are staying on track, and help others by sharing your experiences.
Professional Development
Define and solidify career interests
Members are exposed to special pieces of information that are unique to PM&R, this exposure gives you the chance to preview the field. You can see how your interests fit the specialty and if the specialty fits your interests. Having a career that interests you motivates you to excel in your work.
Plot career objectives
As a member you will learn about the “in’s and out’s” of PM&R. This knowledge will help you to set career goals. Setting definitive goals makes you more likely to stay focused and achieve them.
Set realistic career expectations
Understanding the demands of a career in advance can help you achieve and maintain job satisfaction.
Shows commitment to the field
Joining a professional organization as a student shows others your genuine interest in the specialty. Also, involvement now increases the chances of your professional commitment in the future.
Establish citizenship within the PM&R community
This is an official way to make yourself part of the PM&R community.
Stay connected
Through newsletters, conferences and meetings you stay up to date on important scientific and community updates.
Personal Development
Develop your soft skills
Successful teamwork, strategic thinking, common sense and communication all require a strong set of “people skills.” A seasoned set of soft skills will make you a more attractive applicant in the nearer future, but in the long run (more importantly) it will help you develop better relationships with your patients.
Become a leader and hone your leadership skills
Leaders join and participate in professional organizations.
Distinction or Recognition
Showcase your successes or experiences
Members have opportunities to present their research at conferences and on the web. It is also possible for any member to be spotlighted in a newsletter or on our website.
Prestige
Association with a professional organization boosts your credibility in the eyes of the general public, future employers and patients.