ABPMR PM&R study guide
ABPMR PM&R · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) certifies physiatrists through a two-part examination process that marks the transition from residency training into independent practice. Part I is the primary knowledge assessment taken around the end of residency, and Part II follows as the later component of the same certification sequence. The ABPMR PM&R study guide has 6 sections and about 1,962 words.
01Neurologic Disorders: Localize, Then Prognosticate
Every neurologic question gets easier if you first name the lesion and then the functional consequence. Stroke: know the thrombolytic window (up to 4.5 h in selected patients) and thrombectomy eligibility, but rehabilitation questions focus on syndromes - MCA (contralateral hemiparesis, aphasia, hemi-inattention), PCA (homonymous hemianopia), lacunar (pure motor or pure sensory), basilar (locked-in).
320 words, about 2 min02Musculoskeletal Disorders and Sports Medicine: Match Structure to Maneuver
Musculoskeletal questions usually ask whether you can link a structure to a provocation maneuver, then choose the least invasive next step. Shoulder: rotator cuff tendinopathy (painful arc, pain with resisted abduction and external rotation) versus full-thickness tear (drop-arm sign, external-rotation lag) versus adhesive capsulitis (global loss of passive motion, especially external rotation) versus AC arthropathy (point tenderness, pain with cross-body adduction).
325 words, about 2 min03Electrodiagnostic Medicine: Nerve Versus Muscle, Axon Versus Myelin
Electrodiagnostic questions are won by deciding three things in order: is there a lesion, is it axonal or demyelinating, and where is it? Nerve conduction studies come first - keep limb temperature above 32 °C, because cooling slows conduction and inflates latencies.
338 words, about 2 min04Organ System Disorders and Medical Complications: Anticipate and Prevent
Rehabilitation of organ system disorders is largely prevention and early recognition. Venous thromboembolism: risk-stratify, use mechanical plus pharmacologic prophylaxis when safe, and treat unilateral leg swelling in an immobilized patient as DVT until proven otherwise.
339 words, about 2 min05Pediatric Rehabilitation: Milestones and Classification
Pediatric questions test whether you know normal development well enough to recognize delay, then can classify and prognosticate. Key milestones: social smile at 6 weeks, sits without support at 6–8 months, pincer grasp at 9–10 months, walks independently at 12–15 months, two-word phrases at 18–24 months.
320 words, about 2 min06Pain, Spasticity, and Assistive Technology: Treat the Goal, Not the Number
Spasticity is velocity-dependent hyperreflexia from loss of descending inhibition; rigidity is velocity-independent. The Modified Ashworth Scale grades resistance at a single speed (0 to 4) and does not capture function, whereas the Tardieu scale assesses the angle of catch at slow and fast velocities and better reflects dynamic spasticity.
320 words, about 2 min