Profile of a PM&R Resident Currently Conducting Research

Jason Frankel, MD, was chief resident at the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University. In March 2005 Dr. Frankel submitted a manuscript to the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for his research on outcome comparisons between older and younger adults after acute inpatient TBI rehabilitation. Under the mentorship of Jennifer Marwitz, MA, he found that elderly TBI patients made functional gains comparable to younger patients, and the majority then could be discharged to their homes. Dr. Frankel is hopeful that his findings will help inpatient physiatrists feel comfortable admitting elderly TBI patients onto their unit in this age of funding restrictions and shorter lengths of stay.

Prior to residency, Dr. Frankel’s research background included two summer research experiences during college, two years of post-college work as a research technician, and a summer project in medical school studying outcomes in patients with Type I diabetes. The TBI project fed his interest in statistical analysis and treatment outcomes, and combined with his interest in geriatric rehabilitation, he was inspired to begin a residency research project in the middle of his second year. He worked closely with his mentor and department chair, David Cifu, MD, in choosing his sample population, research design, and statistical analysis.

Dr. Frankel was allotted 10 weeks of elective time, during which he was allowed to take two to three half days per week for research. He managed the remaining research time in conjunction with his full-time clinical duties.  When he began writing the manuscript, he approached the project section by section with guidance from his mentor, but the writing is his original work.

Michael Hsu, MD

mikehsu@u.washington.edu