Diversity in Experience

What separates VCU’s PM&R Residency from the rest?

Accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, our program accepts six residents each year through the National Residency Matching Program. As a trainee, you can expect the following:

  • Extensive clinical exposure
  • Bedside teaching
  • Formal lectures and other didactics
  • Research mentoring from our dedicated faculty

We value diversity of experience, and in addition to balancing inpatient and outpatient training, our program emphasizes community outreach. As a resident you can volunteer with adaptive sports organizations, provide on-field sports coverage, treat underserved populations in the Richmond area and participate in integrative health programming during their time at VCU.

Well-rounded PM&R training requires collaboration with neuropsychologists, orthopaedic surgeons, therapists and numerous other talented health professionals. Our diverse, accomplished faculty members bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to the table in order to provide compassionate care for our patients and extensive learning opportunities for our trainees.

We provide structured workshops, lectures and interactive, experiential training for our residents. We ensure that our residents get protected time each week for faculty lectures, departmental grand rounds and workshops. Weekly presentations, journal club and lecture series also occur at different healthcare facilities.

Residency Mission Statement

To educate and develop highly competent and compassion driven PM&R physicians. 

We do this through: 

  • Providing a comprehensive, real world experience that is steeped and vetted in humanistic and systems-based practice education.
  • Fostering a diverse and inclusive culture through our recruitment of residents & faculty from a multitude of backgrounds.
  • Embracing and leveraging new technology and innovative research to optimize patient outcomes.

Our Vision: “To create world class physicians and thought leaders in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.” 

Upon completion of our fully accredited PM&R residency, VCU graduates should demonstrate the knowledge & skills to be highly competent Physiatrists and leaders in the field of PM&R. 

 

PM&R Residency Program Guide 23-24

Apply

The VCU Department of PM&R participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and those interested in our program can apply using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Each year we accept six residents. You may complete your intern year (PGY-1) at any accredited institution before beginning their PM&R residency here, and if you’re interested in receiving all your training here at VCU you must apply separately to the Department of Internal Medicine's program.

vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org

 

Competitive and Comprehensive Curriculum

A one-to-one faculty-to-student ratio and a diverse patient population creates a well-rounded, robust clinical experience, with procedures included in each rotation.

In state-of-the-art facilities at the VCU Medical Center, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center (VAMC), Sheltering Arms Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond (CHoR), you’ll engage in comprehensive training in the following areas:

  • Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
  • Musculoskeletal injury (MSK)
  • Orthopaedic and multi-trauma injuries
  • Prosthetics and orthotics (P&O)
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Spinal cord injury (SCI)
  • Pediatric disorders
  • Pain management
  • Interventional spine care
  • Sports medicine
  • Electrodiagnosis
  • Integrative health

Didactics and Collaborative Learning

We provide structured workshops, lectures and interactive, experiential training for our residents.

We ensure that our residents get protected time each week for faculty lectures, departmental grand rounds and workshops. Weekly presentations, journal club and lecture series also occur at different healthcare facilities.

      

As a PM&R resident, your schedule will include inpatient and outpatient rotations that will gradually build your autonomy and confidence in treating and managing patients.

PGY-2

PGY-3

PGY-4

Innovative and Inspiring Research

To promote a greater understanding and appreciation of scholarly activity alongside education and patient care, we encourage our residents to engage in a research and/or quality improvement project during their training. Paired with a faculty adviser, each resident will engage in a project with the goal to present at a national PM&R meeting.

Read more about the department's part in CERSE.

Benefits at a Glance

Life in Richmond

We encourage our fellows to maintain a healthy, balanced life, and Richmond is a wonderful place to engage in that well-rounded lifestyle. As the capital of Virginia since 1779, Richmond attracts students, faculty and staff from around the globe. The city’s location affords easy day trips to destinations like Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach, Colonial Williamsburg and the Blue Ridge Mountains, among others.

As a mid-sized city with a metropolitan population of 1.3 million, Richmond provides stimulating activities while maintaining its intimate feel and unique vibe. Vibrant neighborhoods offer distinct, diverse experiences, with no shortage of art galleries, museums, music venues, restaurants, breweries and parks. For the outdoor enthusiast, you can’t beat the offerings in the city’s riverfront parks and urban wilderness areas such as white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking and cultural festivals.

Learn more about our community.

Jessica Hupe, MD

Jessica Hupe, MD

Jessica Hupe, MD

Jessica Hupe, MD

School of Medicine

Residency Program Director and Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Multi-Specialty Medical Director, Sheltering Arms Institute

Phone: (804) 828-4230

Email: vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org

View Faculty Expertise Profile

Mary Caldwell, DO

Mary Caldwell, DO

Mary Caldwell, DO

Mary Caldwell, DO

School of Medicine

Associate Residency Program Director and Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Director of Ambulatory Medicine, VCU Health

Phone: (804) 360-4669

Email: vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org

Read More

View Faculty Expertise Profile

Allison Hickman, DO

Allison Hickman, DO

Allison Hickman, DO

Allison Hickman, DO

School of Medicine

Allison Hickman, DO (She/Her)
Site director
VCU PM&R Residency Program
Chief, PM&R Service
Central VA Veterans Health Care System
Site director and Assistant Professor, VCU PM&R

Phone: 804-675-5117

Email: vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org

Kassandra Kelly MS, ATC

Kassandra Kelly MS, ATC

Kassandra Kelly MS, ATC

Kassandra Kelly MS, ATC

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Residency Program Coordinator

Phone: (804) 828-2017

Email: vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org

Our Residents