900 Section - Beyond Everest: The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Fellowship Program by, in and for Nepal—A Model of Sustainable Global Collaboration in PM&R Training.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

RD

Raju Dhakal, N/A, MD

Medical director
SIRC lalitpur, Nepal
Lalitpur, Dhawalagiri, Nepal

Co-Author/Coautor(s)

AB

Anil Bahadur Shrestha, Orthopaedic Surgeon

Vice Chairperson
Spinal Injury Sangh Nepal
Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
PW

Peter Wing, Orthopaedic Surgeon

Prof. Emeritus
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CW

Claire Weeks, MD

Physiatrist, (Retired)
University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
AT

Andrea Townson, MD

Clinical Professor
GF Strong/UBC
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Colleen O'Connell, MD (she/her/hers)

Professor and Medical Director
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine and Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
CG

Christine C. Groves, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Clinical PM&R
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
PN

Prashnna Napit, MD

Fellow, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre
Lalitpur, Bagmati, Nepal
SS

Smriti Shrestha, MD

Fellow in Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Patan academy of health sciences/Spinal injury rehabilitation center
Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
UM

Unika Mulmi, MD

Consultant Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician
Spinal injury rehabilitation center
kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
PK

Patryk Krowlikowski, BA

Manager/Finance
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Case Diagnosis: Not applicable

Case Description:

Objectives: Nepal faces major rehabilitation needs due to its difficult terrain and high burden of trauma, ageing population and non communicable diseases. Until recently the country lacked a formal training program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) leading to severe shortage of specialist. Presently, Nepal has only four physicians qualified as PMR specialists and only two are dedicatedly working in Nepal serving a population over a thirty million. This project details the conception, development, and launch of Nepal`s first formal PMR training program. It analyzes the collaborative model between Nepali institutions and their international partners and outlines the program`s strategy for ongoing sustainability.

Design: The Nepal`s PMR program highlights the collaboration between Nepali rehabilitation institutions and group of international academic physiatrists. Funded by the Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons IDAC program, the program approach includes joint curriculum development, faculty training, and coordination with national accreditation process.

Discussions: Discussions: In August 2024, the partnership launched a two-year PMR fellowship, enrolling its two first fellows. Major achievements included the signing of a memorandum of understanding, development of competency based curriculum, and formation Nepalese Society of PMR. The initiative has moved from planning into practice with clinical training in Nepal and academic content supported by both local and international PMR specialists. The first two fellows will be graduating in August 2026 and are expected to become faculty, allowing for an additional two fellows to be enrolled in the program and establishing a sustainable train-the-trainer model.

Conclusions:

Conclusions: The Nepal PMR Fellowship illustrates a sustainable approach to global health collaboration. By combining international expertise with national leadership and embedding the program within Nepal`s medical education system, it provides a model that can be adapted to develop specialty training in other resource limited contexts.