Tips for GP trainees working in rehabilitation medicine.

British Journal of General Practice, April 2014 205 At the interface between hospital and community-based medicine, rehabilitation medicine delivers multidisciplinary assessment and treatment for adults with complex disabilities arising from acute events such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinalcord injury, complex trauma, or amputation. Rehabilitation medicine practitioners also manage disability related to long-term conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. Patients present with a wide range of problems, including physical, cognitive, behavioural, and communicative difficulties. Rather than focusing on just the medical problem, rehabilitation medicine aims to reduce the impact of the disease or injury on the patient’s quality of life. This requires a holistic approach with the collaboration of the individual, their friends and family, and a large team of health and social care professionals. An inpatient stay will include a thorough assessment of a patient’s problems, followed by a structured programme, based around individualised, patient-centred goals. It is a hugely rewarding specialty: people’s lives are suddenly and irreversibly changed by accidents, acute medical problems, or the onset of chronic diseases. The work of the rehabilitation team enables patients to be discharged, to home when possible, and optimises reintegration into the community, with further review to look at matters such as returning to work. As a GP trainee in rehabilitation medicine, you will encounter a diverse range of medical conditions, psychological problems, social and ethical dilemmas. Learning opportunities are not always obvious but they are endless! Here are some suggestions: