Training Characteristics, Academic Accomplishments, and Motivation of Current Program Directors in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

To report the training characteristics, academic accomplishments, and motivation of current United States (US) academic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Program Directors.A 22-question survey was developed and disseminated via email to 91 current residency program directors that are members of the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) Residency Fellowship Program Director (RFPD) Committee in May 2020. Follow-up emails were sent 2 and 4 weeks after initial distribution, and the survey closed after 6 weeks in June 2020. Data collected was deidentified. Descriptive analysis was performed.Response rate was 49.5% (45/91). 64.4% of program directors were men, 35.6% were women. Of the respondents, 75.4% were White/Caucasian, 6.7% Hispanic/Latinx, 15.6% Asian, and 2.2% were Black/African American. 56% (9/16) of women program directors versus 0% (0/29) of men program directors reported experiencing gender discrimination in the workplace.4% of program directors were full professors in PM&R when first appointed, 17% associate professors, and 72% assistant professors. 34% of program directors had at least 6 peer-reviewed publications when first appointed.This survey provides insight to the training characteristics, accomplishments, and motivation of current program directors for physiatrists aspiring to enter these ranks and highlights the underrepresentation of women/minorities amongst leadership positions in PM&R.