Message from our Resident Chiefs

Hello prospective applicants! First, we want to congratulate you as you near the end of your medical school years and look forward to a rewarding career serving patients as a physiatrist. We are thrilled you are considering University of Louisville PM&R as your future residency home.

In the past few years, as our world has changed, we have emerged with a PM&R program that is stronger—and larger! The University of Louisville has a well-rounded, robust PM&R program with state-of-the-art facilities, all within close proximity and easy driving distance. Some of our training sites include academic facilities such as Frazier Rehab Institute, University of Louisville Hospital, multiple UofL community sites, Jewish Hospital, Norton Children’s Hospital, and Brown Cancer Center. We also serve in community settings such as Baptist Health, Robley Rex VA Hospital, and private practices within the community. Our inpatient rehab census will grow this coming year as we open a brand-new inpatient rehab hospital on the east end of town in order to serve a larger population. Additionally, we hope to add a fellow with our spinal cord injury fellowship. Our division has grown with the addition of several new faculty in the past couple years, including a UofL PM&R alumni who joined our division as our second PMR MSK/sports medicine specialist.

When discussing why we selected the University of Louisville, we came to several key conclusions. When auditioning or interviewing, we felt that if we matched here, we would become part of a cohesive PM&R family–a family that focuses on inclusion, work-life balance, and support of our goals as future physiatrists and as individuals. The diversity of rotation locations, faculty, and specialties also intrigued and assured us that by graduation we would be well-rounded physiatrists ready to take on general physiatry or fellowship. Additional draws included the success of recent graduates in successfully matching desired fellowship positions and the academic involvement and connections of the faculty members. The city of Louisville itself was also key due to the small-town atmosphere with big-city amenities and experiences. Louisville has a fantastic food scene, a diverse culture, robust entertainment, multiple sports teams, wonderful parks, good schools, bourbon, and of course the world-renowned Kentucky Derby.

While not everyone is looking for the same experience, we feel this program is uniquely well-rounded and offers several highlights listed below that may be of interest to you.

• Faculty who are invested in resident education with fellowship training and subspecialty interests in brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, cancer rehab, sports medicine, interventional spine, pain medicine, amputee care, and medically complex rehab, to name a few.
• Robust weekly didactics (on a yearly rotating schedule) with outside guest speakers ranging from physicians from various other specialties and subspecialties, and other disciplines such as therapists, prosthetists, operations directors, directors of finance, and billing and coding.
• A musculoskeletal curriculum with comprehensive lectures, monthly ultrasound and physical exam workshops, and several sessions per year in the fresh-tissue lab to both practice image-guided procedures (ultrasound peripheral MSK and fluoroscopic spine) and perform dissections.
• Inpatient rehab rotations with dedicated services and fellowship-trained faculty, including spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, medically complex, cancer, pediatric rehabilitation, and community-hospital based.
• Weekly resident continuity clinic.
• Home call, which not only helps provide the balance between work and personal life but also trains residents to make appropriate decisions based on telephone and EMR assessments.
• Performance of procedures starting as a PGY2 with trigger point injections, baclofen pump interrogation and refills, botulinum toxin and phenol chemodenervation, joint injections, and much more. Our residents commonly graduate with several hundred to 1,000+ procedures performed, including 300+ spine/pain procedures performed, if desired.
• Elective rotations to spend time in fields that interest you such as, but not limited to, occupational health, pediatric orthopedics, skilled nursing facilities, or radiology. Uniquely, you will have the option for a one-month away rotation during your residency.
• Participation in Special Olympics of Kentucky’s Annual Medfest where residents provide pre-participation medical exams to the athletes.
• High school football sideline coverage for several local high schools, split amongst the residents. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to care for UofL athletes in the clinic and training room setting during sports medicine rotations.

• We have a cohesive group of residents, spouses, children, and pets that enjoy time both in the hospital and outside the hospital. We have numerous wellness events such as an annual resident retreat, multi-season intramural sports, happy hours, and potluck dinners for holidays.

We are excited for you as you continue your journey to become a physiatrist and would love to answer any questions you may have about University of Louisville PM&R.

Best of luck and we hope to see you in Louisville soon,

Drs. David Levin and Hank Tobener

UofL PM&R Resident, Chiefs 2024-25

Apply Now!

Each September we participate in the ERAS application process. Applications are reviewed and select candidates will be offered to schedule interviews through the fall and winter. Please check their website for timelines and information on the application process.

We typically interview all rotating MS4s during their rotation and invite an additional 48 candidates to interview.  This academic year our interviews will be in person!  We understand this is out of the norm, but we are excited to show off our city, and for you to meet our faculty and residents and see our outstanding facilities here at Frazier Rehab!

The University of Louisville PM&R Residency program is categorical, meaning we will be recruiting PGY1 residents.

We suggest this helpful resource for writing a personal statement.

For information please contact:
Patti J. Hayden, C-TAGME
PM&R Residency Coordinator
Email: patti.hayden@louisville.edu