1. Is Neuro basically inpatient and PM & R basically outpatient? Can you explain?
Both have inpatient and outpatient components. Neuro inpatient involves consults and more acute management of disorders---seizures, strokes, mental status changes, etc. PM&R inpatient practice usually entails running a rehab unit (medically managing patients undergoing acute inpatient rehabilitation), hospital consults for rehab appropriateness, etc. Neuro outpatient is very broadly based: tremors, memory problems, weakness, seizures, dizziness, etc. PM&R outpatient has some overlap, but includes more musculoskeletal medicine, occ med, spine rehab and sports medicine. Both neurologists and physiatrists do electrodiagnostics. I think PM&R is a hybrid of non-surgical orthopedics and peripheral nervous system neurology.
2. Is it easier to do Pain mgmt with PM & R?
Almost all PM&R residencies have some exposure to pain management and get training in rudimentary injection techniques. I don't know how much exposure most neurologists get to these procedures in their residencies. Many physiatrists do pain management fellowships and practice pain medicine. If your heart is set on interventional pain management, then anesthesia is certainly the most recognized path to this goal. However, PM&R is also a viable option. Anesthesia, PM&R, and psychiatry/neurology are the three boards that sponsor subspecialty training in pain. Pain management is accessible through each of these fields.
3. Which field has the best lifestyle AFTER residency? I keep hearing that PM & R does, but could someone tell me the hours per week in each field?
Lifestyle is what *YOU* make of it. I know some interventional physiatrists working 100+ hours per week and part-time neurologists working less than 30. In general, there are far fewer rehab emergencies than neurological emergencies. I've never seen a stat rehab consult before.
4. Can someone compare the salaries of a Physiatrist and a Neurologist?
<a href="http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm" target="_blank">http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm</a>
Neurologists: $142-$187K
Physiatrists: $160-$233K
There are more procedures available for physiatrists to perform and, in general, proceduralists make more money than diagnosticians.
5. Which field has the easiest time finding a job after residency?
Who knows? Changes in the financing of rehab medicine are focusing graduates into more outpatient oriented practices (occ med, sports med, pain, spine and musculoskeletal medicine). These are hot areas right now. Neurology is also hot and it seems like the wait to see a good neurologist these days in most areas 3-4 weeks.
6. Any other information that sets either field "on a higher plane" would be most appreciated.
"On a higher plane?" What do you mean? Neuro is certainly more of an established field. Few people know what a physiatrist is, what a physiatrist does, or how to pronounce it. It all depends what you want. Do you want to diagnose and treat diseases of the central nervous system or do you want to work on restoring functional capacities to those having suffered catastrophic illness or injury? Both sound like a noble life's work to me.
