Can someone explain to me what is the main function of a sports medicine physician? Is it a specialty that requires a fellowship? What type of residency training do you need? Thank you for your help.
Fred
Fred
Sports Medicine
- Thread starter fozzy40
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Sports medicine physicians take care of athletes. The field requires fellowship level training and is accessible through three avenues: Family medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), and orthopedic surgery. Fellowships are usually a one-year program and depending upon your specialty training are slanted in particular directions. Sports fellowship trained family physicians emphasize primary care of athletes--preparticipation sports physicals, adolescent medicine, etc. Sports medicine trained PM&R doctors focus on the diagnosis and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal sports-related injuries, developing rehabilitation programs for injured athletes, developing training programs for entire sports teams, etc. Finally, sports medicine trained orthopedic surgeons focus on the diagnosis of musculoskeletal injuries and their surgical and post-surgical care. A world class high-jumper will likely require a technically different kind of collateral ligament repair than Grandma Jones who got hit by a shopping cart in the parking lot.
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