Gopher PM&R

Gopher PM&R residents gain access to a comprehensive training program with real-world experience under the guidance of our top doctors, medical staff, and researchers. One huge benefit of being in a larger city is the holistic training experience we are able to offer. Clinical experience at a Big 10 land grant university with an academic health center, Level 1 trauma centers, a large Veterans Affairs Medical Center serving the greater midwest, and a specialized pediatric hospital give you access to train across the spectrum of practice environments and patient populations. This variety provides trainees the opportunity to find their place and figure out exactly what kind of physiatrist they want to be.  We value our role as the academic center for medicine within the state and how care is provided to our communities.

In addition to 4 hours of our weekly didactics for the residents, the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Division of PM&R host various lectures and conferences throughout the year. A few of our notable educational events include a biannual SCI Research Retreat, Licht Lectures, and a newly established Adaptive Sports Education Conference. Visit the Program Activities page to learn more.

Program Activities                  Department Events 

Some facilities and innovative care residents will be a part of include:

• Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Centers (HHS, Regions Hospital, Gillette Childrens)
• The SCI unit at the VA
• The Gait Lab at Gillette
• Interdisciplinary Amputee clinic at the VA and University 
• Emerging Consciousness program at the VA
• The ABLE program and other programmings at CKRI for adaptive fitness
• Prestigious inpatient units including the Fairview Acute Rehab Center
• Extensive Adaptive Sports programming through CKRI and VA

The VA SCI unit was one of the first of its kind to design a whole unit around a certain diagnosis. This meant that everything was taken into account even down to the tables not having legs on the, (could get in the way of a wheelchair) to the mirrors tilting down so seated patients can still see everything they need to. The motion and gait analysis was also one of the first of its kind after being developed many years ago by Dr. Jim Gage who literally wrote one of the early textbooks on gait analysis.  

Learn more about our sites and rotations. 

In addition to all this, our department also offers fellowships in Brain Injury Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Pain Medicine, and Pediatric Rehabilitation. You will have the chance to get to know these faculty members well and position yourself for a successful fellowship match if that is your plan.

Physician burnout and wellness is a point of emphasis for our program. We hold two residency retreats annually with events aimed to reduce physician burnout and promote resident wellbeing and resilience. Activities include restorative yoga, self-care, teamwork, self-reflection and wellness education from experts. Monthly business meetings with co-residents, centralized resources to support trainees, and an open-door policy to connect with the program director are a few ways that we offer support throughout residency. We have a peer and faculty mentoring program to help support our residents at various levels, and the chief residents are always just a text message away. Lastly, we understand that we are all people who are doing this job and taking care of the people allows all of us to do a better job. This means supporting our residents however we can all the time, and especially during times of need.

View GME resources

Gatherings happen year-round, during all four seasons here in Minnesota. We kick off each year with a Welcome BBQ where residents, fellows, faculty, and staff get to meet the new faces and enjoy the Minnesota summer with their family and co-workers. When fall arrives and the cold returns, residents and faculty enjoy bonfire outings, happy hours, and other outdoor activities. Our academic year is highlighted and concluded with our graduation ceremony to celebrate our graduates and share some more time together. Our residents find ways to connect with each other in many ways in this great state. If you are a fan of some friendly competition then you will be pleased to know that we have implemented a “House Cup” competition and award to encourage our teams to get points for the work (and extra work) that they are doing to try and win the cup. Put together, it’s an experience like no other. 

FUN FACT: Happy hours are regular occurrences after big presentations and First Fridays are celebrated after work as much as possible.

There are numerous opportunities in our program. Residents can team up with our physicians to provide volunteer medical care at local sporting events such as performing physical examinations for high school sports teams to being the on-course at the Twin Cities Marathon. Interested in improving the campus climate? Join the Departmental or Medical School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion groups, the Resident Leadership Academy, and even volunteer at the State Fair! Interested in tailoring your education? We offer two tracks with a third coming soon. Our educator and MUSCLE (MSK Ultrasound) longitudinal tracks are well-developed offerings to help you tailor your training to help prepare you for practice. A research track is in development. Have an idea? Share it with the Chief Residents or program administration- be a part of new initiatives and leave your stamp on a program! 

Other ways to tailor your experience is with your continuity clinic and elective research time. These happen during outpatient rotations and the location and topic of study is up to you. Look into something that you are interested in or work in an area you want more exposure to- it's up to you. We also offer one elective rotation that you can design to meet your needs and can even spend up to 4 weeks off-site.  

FUN FACT: Did you know that PM&R Residency Program Director, Dr. Brionn Tonkin, is an Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant for the NFL? He was at the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis and worked with the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.