Evaluating Resident Proficiency In Regenerative Medicine: Insights From PM&R Program Directors

Regenerative medicine (RM) has emerged as a promising field within Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R); however, resident training in RM remains limited. RM encompasses a variety of principles and procedures aimed at enhancing tissue repair and regeneration, which could play a significant role in the future of PM&R practice, especially in the Sports Medicine field. PURPOSE: To evaluate if and how much exposure to Regenerative Medicine PM&R residents are having during their training and to assess preparedness at time of graduation. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among program directors of PM&R residency programs across the United States from 08/01/2024 to 10/01/2024. The survey was created in the REDCap platform and was distributed via email with contact information from the American Medical Association Residency & Fellowship Database or the program’s website. Program directors could appoint a faculty member with experience in this educational component to complete the survey. RESULTS: A total of 28 programs completed the survey (25.0% response rate). Half of the programs (14, 50.0%) responded that they offer some type of education or training in RM, predominantly (>75%) theoretical (6, 46.2%). During an academic year, programs dedicate an estimated 1-5 hours to RM education (10, 71.4%), and residents spend an average of 13.4 ± 14.8 hours (median = 7.5 hours) on hands-on clinical practice of RM procedures. The top procedure residents participate in is platelet-rich plasma injections, with an average of 9.4 ± 9.9 cases per resident during their residency training. Half of the programs that offer an RM curriculum (7, 50.0%) do not have a resident participating in research related to RM. Overall, program directors perceive that residents are moderately interested in training in RM, that 28% are proficient in RM concepts (knowledge-wise), and 15.6% are proficient in RM procedures (skills-wise). Most programs (12, 46.2%) rank their residents as Novice (limited experience) on the NIH proficiency scale on how prepared their residents are upon graduation to incorporate RM in their practice. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, PM&R residency programs offer limited and mostly theoretical exposure to RM, with minimal hands-on training and research involvement.