Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program

Director:

Laurentiu Dinescu, MD

Coordinator:

Holley Dorestin

Phone:

(954) 876-2597

Welcome from Program Director

Dear Residency Candidate,

Welcome to the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Program at Broward Health North! Our residency campus is in Deerfield Beach, Florida, just minutes away from the beach, close to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach. Enjoy the beautiful South Florida, one of the top international destinations for people worldwide. With great weather and sunny beaches, Florida can perfectly balance the PM&R resident's work and lifestyle.

The campus is in the heart of a diverse community, an area unique in the country.

The Broward Health system is among the 20 largest public health systems in the USA. Broward Health North is a 409-bed level two trauma center with extensive medical and surgical subspecialty services. We are delighted that you are considering our program as a potential institution to continue your medical training. You have worked hard, and the next three years will become the foundation of how you approach and practice medicine. Our PM&R Program received initial accreditation from ACGME in January 2024 for 12 categorical positions. We are proud of the work and effort in achieving this goal with a group of experienced faculty in graduate medical education.

We look forward to accomplishing a 100% board pass rate, retaining residents to stay in the community, developing a curriculum that prepares our residents to become leading clinicians in the hospital and clinic setting, and helping our residents enter fellowship.

We welcome you to get to know us better and invite you to consider training at Broward Health North.

Photo of Dr. Laurentiu Dinescu

Laurentiu I. Dinescu, MD, DABIM, DABPMR, DABPM
Program Director
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - Broward Health North Residency

Program Leadership

Dr. Meilani Mapa is a board-certified Doctor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, practicing for more than 20 years.

She earned her medical degree at Northeast Ohio Medical University in 2003 and completed her internship at Summa Health Systems/Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in 2004. She served as a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation resident physician at Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her fellowship in brain injury medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

Dr. Mapa was previously an assistant professor at The Ohio State University and The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. 

Before joining Broward Health, Dr. Mapa was the Medical Director of Brain Injury Medicine and Quality at the Memorial Healthcare System.

Meilani Mapa, MD
Associate Program Director
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - Broward Health North Residency

About the Program

The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) residency program is designed to train both community-oriented and academically focused physiatrists as part of the larger mission of the Broward Health System to provide high-quality, compassionate care to all our patients and their families.

The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program aligns with the broader Broward Health System's mission to provide Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion, and Everyday Excellence.

We aim to be Florida's premier PM&R training program with a positive local, national, and international impact.

Program Highlights

The program will develop residents in advanced PM&R through clinical practice and improvement, innovative basic science, and research. The program will teach and educate trainees on physical medicine and rehabilitation principles. Lastly, the program will heal and provide extraordinary compassion and exceptional care to maximize patient and staff well-being and function.

Personal experience and knowledge are built through consistent learning, work and wide exposure. Our infrastructure consists of eight carefully selected inpatient and outpatient locations, which provide the substrate for learning and a vast clinical exposure within various patient care settings:

  • Broward Health North
  • Broward Health Medical Center
  • Broward Health Coral Springs
  • University of Miami - Jackson Memorial Hospital
  • West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Florida Spine & Sports Specialists
  • The Neurology Institute
  • Boca Trauma & Rehab

The educational experience we provide trainees focuses on diagnosing, evaluating, and managing persons of all ages with physical and cognitive impairments, disabilities, and functional limitations.

The common conditions we treat are:

  • Stroke
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Severe neuromuscular and cardiopulmonary deconditioning, general debility
  • Burns, cancer, spasticity, wound care
  • Neurologic disorders: multiple sclerosis, ALS, Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, neuropathies
  • Amputations, arthritides, fractures
  • Post-arthroplasty and neurosurgical patients
  • Pediatric conditions: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and trauma
  • Acute and chronic pain

Curriculum

Training Blocks and Sites

View Training Blocks and Sites

Our didactic curriculum is organized by monthly educational modules based on high-yield PMR topics. A medical knowledge quiz is administered and scored at the end of each module. Friday is a protected PM&R didactic day from 10 am - 4 pm. It consists of a mix of attending, resident, and student presentations and workshops.

  • General Pm&R/ Intro (July)
  • Stroke (August)
  • Brain Injury (September)
  • Spinal Cord Injury (October)
  • Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology/Sports (November-December)
  • Prosthetics, Orthotics, And Wheelchairs (January)
  • Electrodiagnostic Medicine (Emg/Ncs) (February)
  • Pain Management (March)
  • Geriatrics/ Pediatrics/ Neuromuscular Disorders (April)
  • Medical Rehabilitation (Cardiac, Pulmonary, Cancer, Etc.) (May)
  • Other Pm&R Topics (June)

 

PGY-2

  • Inpatient Rotations:
    • Brain injury (3 months)
    • Consultations (2 months)
    • General rehabilitation (6 months)
  • Outpatient Experience:
  • Clinics: Musculoskeletal/Ultrasound, Pain, Spasticity, Orthotics-Prosthetics, and Wheelchair clinics
  • Research (1 month)

 

PGY-3

  • Inpatient Rotations:
    • Consultations (1 month)
    • General rehabilitation (3 months)
  • Outpatient Experience:
    • Electrodiagnostic Medicine (2 months)
    • Geriatric Rehabilitation (2 months)
    • Musculoskeletal and Pain Management (2 months)
    • Neurosurgery (1 month)
    • Clinics: Musculoskeletal/Ultrasound, Pain, Spasticity, Orthotics-Prosthetics, and Wheelchair clinics
  • Elective (1 month)

 

PGY-4

  • Inpatient Rotations:
    • Consultations (1 month)
    • Spinal Cord Injury/ Senior Ward (3 months)
  • Outpatient Experience:
    • Electrodiagnostic Medicine (2 months)
    • Musculoskeletal and Pain management (1 month)
    • Orthopedics (1 month)
    • Orthotics-Prosthetics, and Wheelchair (1 month)
    • Pediatric Rehabilitation (2 months)
    • Wound Care (1 month)
    • Clinics: Musculoskeletal/Ultrasound, Pain, Spasticity, Orthotics-Prosthetics, and Wheelchair clinics

 

Core Curriculum

The core rotations offered at Broward PM&R Program:

  1. Consultation
  2. Electrodiagnostic Medicine
  3. Geriatric Rehabilitation
  4. Musculoskeletal and Pain Medicine
  5. Neurosurgery
  6. Orthopedics
  7. Pediatric Rehabilitation
  8. Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Wheelchair
  9. Research and Quality Improvement
  10. Spinal Cord Injury / Senior Ward
  11. Traumatic Brain Injury / Clinics-2
  12. Ward / Clinics-1
  13. Wound Care

 

 

Admissions

Our PM&R program is a 3-year advanced program that offers positions starting at the PGY2 level. Before starting our program, applicants must complete a preliminary year (PGY-1) in medicine, transitional, or surgical internship. 


Applications are only accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Our program participates in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) for selection.

 

Application Requirements

All applications are evaluated holistically.

  • USMLE or COMLEX Scores
    • A passing USMLE Step 1 score is required prior to interview invitation, and passage of USMLE Step 2 CK is required in order to be ranked.
  • Dean’s Letter (MSPE)
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
    • At least one LOR from a physiatrist 
  • Personal Statement
  • Medical School Transcripts (international transcripts must be translated)
  • ECFMG Certificate, if applicable
  • Curriculum Vitae or Resume

International applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

  • Applicants must be eligible for Florida Medical Training Licensure
  • Applicants must be US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and or eligible for J1 visa sponsorship.

Broward Health North Program (3401100002) - Advanced 
NRMP # 1892340R0 (4 Total Positions)       ERAS ID # 3401100002

We strongly encourage applicants interested in PM&R training to apply to our program and learn its unique features through the interview process.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Elective

Preceptor: Laurentiu I. Dinescu, MD

Coordinator: Holley Dorestin

Description

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) offers an elective rotation to medical students in accredited US and foreign medical schools with an interest in pursuing a PMR residency.

Elective duration: 2-4 weeks

 

Objectives of the Elective

The goal of this elective is to gain an in-depth understanding and to provide broad exposure to the field of rehabilitation medicine to 3rd and 4th-year medical students,  through daily contact with patients, case presentations, topic discussions, scheduled lectures, and review of core journal articles pertinent to the field. During this rotation, students will have the opportunity to learn about the rehabilitation of patients with a variety of disorders such as brain or spinal cord injury, stroke, cardio-pulmonary, and musculoskeletal disorders. An understanding of the rehabilitation "team" approach is emphasized in the overall management of these patients.

 

Key Responsibilities of the Student while on Elective

  1. Participation in daily morning rounds, team conferences, and patient care with Residents and Attendings, on the inpatient rehabilitation ward and consultation service.
  2. Following 1-2 inpatients, and being involved in their medical and rehabilitation management.
  3. Active participation in scheduled outpatient clinics, with case and topic presentations.
  4. Attendance at morning didactic sessions, journal club, gym rounds, grand rounds, and resident-faculty presentations. The medical student will also have the opportunity to present on various topics throughout the rotation.

 

Evaluation

Grade evaluation is based on a variety of factors including:

  1. Professionalism
  2. Motivation
  3. Knowledge base about Rehabilitation Medicine
  4. Compassion and empathy for patients with disabilities
  5. Presentation on topics in the didactic sessions.

The evaluation is based on input from resident physicians and faculty who had an opportunity to observe and interact with the medical student. The Residency Program Director assigns a composite grade based on all the input from residents and faculty.

 

Process

Interested medical students should contact the Medical Education Department at Broward Health for the completion of the required forms and scheduling.

Faculty Members

Faculty Members

Photo of Ariel Inocentes, MD

Ariel Inocentes, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Photo of Daniel Klinger, MD

Daniel Klinger, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Neurological Surgery

Giuseppe Paese, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pain Medicine

Photo of Jacinth Reid-Artist, MD

Jacinth Reid-Artist, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Photo of Jason Gould, MD

Jason Gould, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Orthopedic Surgery

Photo of Jorge Garcia-Negron, MD

Jorge Garcia-Negron, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Photo of Juan Bravo, MD

Juan Bravo, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Family Medicine, Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine, Certified Wound Specialist

Photo of Kalman Blumberg, MD

Kalman Blumberg, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Orthopedic Surgery

Photo of Kenneth Jeffers, MD

Kenneth Jeffers, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Orthopedic Surgery

Photo of Kevin Cairns, MD

Kevin Cairns, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pain Medicine

Photo of Laurentiu Dinescu, MD

Laurentiu Dinescu, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, Pain Management

Meilani Mapa, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine

Photo of Mikhail Mirer, MD

Mikhail Mirer, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Pediatrics, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Miksha Patel, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Monica Habib, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Photo of Ramon Cuevas-Trisan, MD

Ramon Cuevas-Trisan, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Photo of Shaye Moskowitz, MD

Shaye Moskowitz, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Neurological Surgery

Photo of Sonia Kalirao, MD

Sonia Kalirao, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Neurology

Photo of William McRoberts, MD

William McRoberts, MD

 GME FACULTY SPECIALTY:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pain Medicine

Related Websites