Natl Med J India
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Background Although physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) was first introduced in India in the 1960s, it was not until the 1990s when it was offered as an optional rotation to Indian medical graduates. Lately, with the introduction of a competency-based undergraduate curriculum in 2018, PMR has been included as an essential subject in the medical graduate curriculum, to be implemented from 2019. We aimed to ascertain the importance of incorporating PMR in the medical graduate curriculum while also discussing the awareness about PMR among Indian healthcare professionals. ⋯ In addition, 85% of the participants reported being introduced to PMR either in their medical school or during their residency training and 92% of the participants appreciated the late integration of PMR within the medical graduate curriculum. Conclusions Introduction of medical graduates to PMR would help in bridging the gaps faced by people with disabilities in accessing healthcare facilities. It would also help clinicians from other specialties to collaborate with physiatrists in a more coordinated manner.