Academic physiatry: vignettes of rewarding careers

The need for more rehabilitation-oriented research has been well documented; however, there has been less discussion in the literature of the personal rewards for embarking on a physiatry career with a research component. To that end, this series of biographical vignettes highlights the inspiration, path, and rewards experienced by 7 academic physiatrists at various stages in their careers. As described, physiatric research can be enriching in many ways. Academic physiatrists work within a thoughtful and dynamic community, can affect health care policy and the clinical treatment of entire patient populations, have the chance to mentor a younger generation of physicians and scientists, and use creative means to continuously pursue ideas aimed at improving the care and quality of life of our patient population.