Applying to sports med fellowship

[Firelambo]

I posted this in sports med forum, I thought this forum would be more appropriate. I was hoping people going through application process / already gone through the process can share their experience. What's the competition like for a pm&r applicant applying for an acgme FM sports med fellowship? For FM sports med fellowship programs that accept other residency programs...do they still prefer FM...due to ability to participate in medicine continuity clinics, etc or are they truly open to all other qualified specialities? Thanks

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[TeaKae]

Looks like you already got some good answers in the other forum. That being said, some PCSM programs are more open to PM&R applicants than others. We also have our own PM&R sports fellowships, as you probably already know. If you truly are dead set on sports and nothing else, why add an extra year of training and lower income by doing a 4 year PM&R residency versus a 3 year FM?

 

[Firelambo]

Looks like you already got some good answers in the other forum. That being said, some PCSM programs are more open to PM&R applicants than others. We also have our own PM&R sports fellowships, as you probably already know. If you truly are dead set on sports and nothing else, why add an extra year of training and lower income by doing a 4 year PM&R residency versus a 3 year FM?

Do you think the MSK exposure a FM resident gets in a 1 year FM sports medicine fellowship would be comparable to a PM&R resident who also pursued a sports med fellowship? I'm assuming pm&r may get more spine exposure/injection. However, in regards to assessing hips,shoulder,knee, foot, and hand and feeling comfortable with ultrasound injections,PRP, and Prolotherapy would it be roughly the same? If so, then it kind of make sense to go the FM route since its shorter and more sports med fellowship availabilities. Am I being naïve or down playing the pm&r curriculum regarding their msk exposure?

 

[j4pac]

Do you think the MSK exposure a FM resident gets in a 1 year FM sports medicine fellowship would be comparable to a PM&R resident who also pursued a sports med fellowship? I'm assuming pm&r may get more spine exposure/injection. However, in regards to assessing hips,shoulder,knee, foot, and hand and feeling comfortable with ultrasound injections,PRP, and Prolotherapy would it be roughly the same? If so, then it kind of make sense to go the FM route since its shorter and more sports med fellowship availabilities. Am I being naïve or down playing the pm&r curriculum regarding their msk exposure?

You are not only downplaying PMR MSK exposure...you are greatly downplaying it. FPs are the best at managing outpatient primary care issues, but the MSK exposure is mediocre. PMR prides itself on being non-surgical MSK experts.

There are definitely some benefits of being FP before SM...suturing and managing the non-MSK aspects of the profession. But for the typical FP and PMR program...there is no comparison with regards to MSK exposure.

 

[spme]

Do you think the MSK exposure a FM resident gets in a 1 year FM sports medicine fellowship would be comparable to a PM&R resident who also pursued a sports med fellowship? I'm assuming pm&r may get more spine exposure/injection. However, in regards to assessing hips,shoulder,knee, foot, and hand and feeling comfortable with ultrasound injections,PRP, and Prolotherapy would it be roughly the same? If so, then it kind of make sense to go the FM route since its shorter and more sports med fellowship availabilities. Am I being naïve or down playing the pm&r curriculum regarding their msk exposure?

I agree with other poster. PMR by far supersedes FM trainees in MSK training in general. If you want to be non surgical MSK specialist, PMR is the best. If you want to be medical sports medicine specialist, FM fits you.

 

[Firelambo]

Thank you both for the above response. I totally understand that pm&r residency vs FM residency is no comparison in regards to MsK exposure. However, what I was trying to ask is once an FM or pm&r completes a sports medicine fellowship and is entering the workforce wouldn't they both have comparable skill sets? Diagnosing msk pathology, ultrasound, prp and prolotherapy? Since there are pm&r doc that chose to go into FM sports medicine fellowship and train side by side with FM docs...I imagine they would have similar sports medicine exposure/skill sets. Just trying to get a better picture of the specialty. Thanks

 

[NightFury]

Thank you both for the above response. I totally understand that pm&r residency vs FM residency is no comparison in regards to MsK exposure. However, what I was trying to ask is once an FM or pm&r completes a sports medicine fellowship and is entering the workforce wouldn't they both have comparable skill sets? Diagnosing msk pathology, ultrasound, prp and prolotherapy? Since there are pm&r doc that chose to go into FM sports medicine fellowship and train side by side with FM docs...I imagine they would have similar sports medicine exposure/skill sets. Just trying to get a better picture of the specialty. Thanks

1 year in FM sports and 1 year in PM&R sports would still not be comparable at all in terms of MSK diagnosis, ultrasound diagnosis and injections, prolotherapy, etc. A PM&R resident will have substantially more knowledge and experience in these areas, and if going to a PM&R sports fellowship, will then be able to build on and advance their skills even moreso. FM will be starting sports med with very little MSK exposure/training and likely just starting to learn how to do MSK ultrasound, when they do their fellowship.

I think one thing to keep in mind is that many sports trained docs arent able to do all of their clinic time in Sports Med. So you would need to be okay with doing FM or general PM&R as well. Also, if you end up changing your mind about sports, or not being able to get a sports fellowship (it's pretty competitive), you will want to make sure you picked the general specialty (FM vs PM&R) that you prefer as a whole. I think both areas have their advantages and disadvantages, but if you have a desire for more advanced MSK diagnosis and procedures, PM&R is the way to go.

 

[Firelambo]

Thanks for your reply nightfury! That makes a lot of sense. I guess I just assumed the sports med fellowship would put everyone on the same playing field. Another example I thought would be similar is pain fellowship. Doesn't that fellowship take graduates from anesthesia, pm&r,psych, neuro? All very different focus in residency ...but when they graduate from a pain fellowship wouldn't they all be capable of performing the same interventional spine procedures?

 

[timisdaman]

Some of the best fellowships are run by Family Medicine or Pediatrics. Keep in mind that there are Sports Medicine departments or divisions that are multidisciplinary, with PM&R or Ortho on faculty.

Also, consider what type of work you want to do after. If you want to be a team physician, I would argue the FM route is easier. Also, there are few 100% sports medicine jobs as most are a mixture of sports and the primary specialty.

 

[j4pac]

Something also to consider...SM isn't a slam dunk.

If you don't get into SM...what would you rather do PMR or FP? I went PMR because I felt that I'd be happy doing PMR for a living, not FP.

There are many PMR programs that could give you the training you need to do SM without the uncertainty of needing to match to SM.

 

[NightFury]

Thanks for your reply nightfury! That makes a lot of sense. I guess I just assumed the sports med fellowship would put everyone on the same playing field. Another example I thought would be similar is pain fellowship. Doesn't that fellowship take graduates from anesthesia, pm&r,psych, neuro? All very different focus in residency ...but when they graduate from a pain fellowship wouldn't they all be capable of performing the same interventional spine procedures?

I probably should have clarified. I think there is a difference between someone who completed PM&R sports accredited fellowship and FM sports fellowship right out of training. As far as job/employment prospects, I would doubt it makes any difference at all, since they are both non-surgical SM. I don't really know if there's a significance difference between a FM and PM&R trained SM grad in the same FM-based sports med fellowship. Probably much less so if at all (like with Interventional Pain)

 

[Firelambo]

Thank you for the replies. Very helpful advice!