Department of
Medical Education

John Alm, DO

Name: John Alm, DO 

Board Certification: AOBPMR

Medical School: AT Still University

Residency: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Missouri 

Faculty Rank: Chair, Associate Professor 

Special Clinical/Research Interests: Sports Medicine & Interventional Spine/Pain

Is there a particular population of students (e.g., ethnicity, spiritual, sexual orientation) that you would particularly like to advise?

No, welcome all students.

What does a typical day in the life of a physiatrist include?

There is such variability in this, since we are such a broad field that includes both inpatient and ambulatory settings with such variation in the types of patients treated.  In Sports Medicine, we typically start the day at 7:30-8:00 with a clinic that will run all day until about 5ish.  During that time, we will interact with therapists, orthotists, radiology, and perform both anatomic & image guided clinical procedures.

What is the biggest challenge of being a physiatrist?

For the field as a whole, our main goal is improving function and quality of life.  The challenge of this can be challenging and rewarding when we deal with individuals recovering from major trauma, stroke, brain injury, and/or spinal cord injuries.  In doing this, we must not only treat the patient but also help the family with what these injuries will mean in the long term and how to best address returning patient & family to their lives.

How do you foresee physiatry changing over the next 20 years?

The need for PM&R will continue to go up as we see increased focus on outcomes when it comes to payment/reimbursement, so roles of prehabilitation and rehabilitation will become more and more important. 

What advice would you give a student who is considering a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) residency?

Shadow! The field is continuously growing, but it currently is not part of core rotations so the option of going into this residency may not be an option by the time they do an elective in their 4th year of medical school.  PM&R is the only non-surgical specialty that fills EVERY spot in the country and each year becomes more and more competitive to get into.  Start researching the field as soon as you think you have an interest.