Doctors Working For Professional Sport Teams

[footballrules]

"Dr. Drew Dossett, a member of the Cowboys' medical staff, will perform the procedure."

I don't know anything about doctors working for professional sport teams. So I want to learn how this work.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3549530

What kind training would a doctor like the one listed in the article have? Would the doctor work for a clinic and the team, or just the team?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bugalow121]

"Dr. Drew Dossett, a member of the Cowboys' medical staff, will perform the procedure."

I don't know anything about doctors working for professional sport teams. So I want to learn how this work.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3549530

What kind training would a doctor like the one listed in the article have? Would the doctor work for a clinic and the team, or just the team?

http://www.drwaltlowe.com/ (also on medical staff)

and dossett is on the Dallas Spine and Kerlan / Jobe LA. clinic staff

 

[lapelirroja]

My hospital is the official hospital of a professional basketball team (current world champions!) and the team physician also sees regular orthopedic patients as well.

 

[T12]

An orthopaedist that regularly sees and operates on members of the Dallas Cowboys/Mavericks /Stars released my ulnar nerve and resected two bone spurs from a nagging football injury a few years ago. He's a member of an orthopaedic clinic in Dallas that sees regular patients every day, but he also serves as one of the teams' surgeons. As I recall, there were a couple at that clinic that were team doctors.

So, at least in this case, they didn't serve exclusively to the team.

That office was BAD ASS, though. The walls were lined with full team posters signed "Thanks so much Dr. So-and-So"

And one office had a picture of the doctor and Bill Parcells standing on the sideline together looking concerned. (I'm sure Flozell had pulled up limping or something!)

This particular surgeon also apparently operates on team affiliates as well: He operated on Razor Reaugh's knee, so broadcasters are included!

Any Stars fans in the house? No? Oh well...

 

[JackInTheBox]

Any Stars fans in the house? No? Oh well...

No because they're one of the cheapest teams in the NHL. They should compete in the 2012 Olympics because they'd win all the diving golds.

 

[T12]

OH...OH...OH No He didn't.

Lemme guess? Anaheim fan, no no no, San Jose? Gotta be a Sharks fan. Hopefully you're not Milan Michalek....wait, has he woken up yet?

 

[JackInTheBox]

OH...OH...OH No He didn't.

Lemme guess? Anaheim fan, no no no, San Jose? Gotta be a Sharks fan. Hopefully you're not Milan Michalek....wait, has he woken up yet?

Just some examples of Turco's terrible acting. The guy flops more than a fish out of water, but he isn't the only Star who does. You just can't respect a player that cheap.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So2XOSUGYkM[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOll0x4Phyo[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFzmdyGkU4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[T12]

So I take it you're not a fan of any particular team, just Anti-Stars?

Or is it that if you mention your team of allegiance, I'll be able to find just as many instances of its players taking dives, thereby invalidating your criticism?

Come on, which is it? Not the Red Wings because you would've already said that...

 

[JackInTheBox]

So I take it you're not a fan of any particular team, just Anti-Stars?

Or is it that if you mention your team of allegiance, I'll be able to find just as many instances of its players taking dives, thereby invalidating your criticism?

Come on, which is it? Not the Red Wings because you would've already said that...

I happen to be a Ducks fan. Go ahead and find examples of the Ducks diving. I know they've done it and been called for it, and Chris Pronger is a goon who doesn't deserve the captaincy, but it's not a matter of players taking dives because every team has someone who tries too hard to sell a call.

The Stars just have a higher number of cheap players than pretty much any other team in the league, players like Mike Ribeiro and Sean Avery who have a reputation for being cheap players. Hell, Sean Avery has a rule named after him now for being such a dick:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3346729

"If they have to change the rule because somebody wants to be unsportsmanlike and deface the game of hockey, I'm all for it. Hopefully, guys understand the integrity of the sport. That's just something you don't do. It's kind of bush league. Hopefully it's the last we see of it."

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNw8ZZT8tOU[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVe4XNWVFUM[/YOUTUBE]

 

[osumc2014]

haha hockey battle it is...

To contribute to the OP, I used to do research for a sports medicine doc that was our school's hockey team doctor and it seemed like a sweet job.

 

[tessa108]

Never thought I'd see videos of Avery and Ribeiro on SDN...

But anyway, teams seem to generally have several doctors as part of their staff that also see regular patients (with a glance at the Sabres website, they have a few team physicians and even an oral surgeon affiliated with the team). At least one of the physicians is actually at the games as well to deal with anything that happens (like this crazy incident: http://www.startribune.com/15587877.html ). There's a little info about the doctor's background in that article, but I don't know anything specific about how you'd go about getting that kind of position.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I wonder if docs that are full time with a team make bank??

 

[JackInTheBox]

I wonder if docs that are full time with a team make bank??

I'd be happy with a championship ring and the chance to drink from the Stanley Cup.

 

[T12]

Man, should've went with my instinct. Knew it sounded like a Ducks fan.

And how can you cite Sean Avery's antics as evidence for the Stars' diving when he's never even suited up for them yet. Ribs used to dive a lot, yes, but so did a lot of players. He's matured, like many players do. And Marty is just smart. All goalies do the things you've shown. All of them, especially the great ones.

And I agree...Pronger's a goon.

At least they got rid of Bert, no way anyone can speak on respecting hockey players when that damn-near-murderer is wearing their team's sweater.

And sorry, medicine-shadowing-doctor-MCAT-organic chemistry....is my post pre-med enough?

 

[MaryLennox]

i totally want to be the doctor for a football team. i think it's because i am jealous that i can't actually BE an NFL football player. instead i can just hit on them.

although i dont think i could be beefy enough to wrestle a football player's shoulder back into its socket, or whatever it is i'd need to do. oh well, i can dream right?

 

[txprodigal]

An orthopaedist that regularly sees and operates on members of the Dallas Cowboys/Mavericks /Stars released my ulnar nerve and resected two bone spurs from a nagging football injury a few years ago. He's a member of an orthopaedic clinic in Dallas that sees regular patients every day, but he also serves as one of the teams' surgeons. As I recall, there were a couple at that clinic that were team doctors.

So, at least in this case, they didn't serve exclusively to the team.

That office was BAD ASS, though. The walls were lined with full team posters signed "Thanks so much Dr. So-and-So"

And one office had a picture of the doctor and Bill Parcells standing on the sideline together looking concerned. (I'm sure Flozell had pulled up limping or something!)

This particular surgeon also apparently operates on team affiliates as well: He operated on Razor Reaugh's knee, so broadcasters are included!

Any Stars fans in the house? No? Oh well...

Carrell Clinic?

 

[T12]

I know that plenty of teams have plastic surgeons at games as well as ortho's. I remember once when Modano was gashed about 8 inches across his face and looked like nothing had ever happened within a week.

 

[T12]

Carrell Clinic?

Bingo!

 

[JackInTheBox]

Man, should've went with my instinct. Knew it sounded like a Ducks fan.

And how can you cite Sean Avery's antics as evidence for the Stars' diving when he's never even suited up for them yet. Ribs used to dive a lot, yes, but so did a lot of players. He's matured, like many players do. And Marty is just smart. All goalies do the things you've shown. All of them, especially the great ones.

And I agree...Pronger's a goon.

At least they got rid of Bert, no way anyone can speak on respecting hockey players when that damn-near-murderer is wearing their team's sweater.

And sorry, medicine-shadowing-doctor-MCAT-organic chemistry....is my post pre-med enough?

Haha, I've hated Sean Avery ever since he was on the Kings, but the fact that the Stars picked him up is a shame. Everybody's dived at one point or another, but Turco doesn't just dive, he flops, and way more than most goalies.

I'm ecstatic the the Ducks bought out Bertuzzi. Biggest waste of cap space if there ever was one.

 

[T12]

OK, back to civility, Turco doesn't get caught though, and if you're not cheating...

I hated Avery too...until the Stars signed him haha. Always been a big Niedermayer fan though, it's not like I despise the Ducks. Scott, not so much Rob. I can't wait until next season...Pacific's going to be the best division in hockey...again.

 

[JackInTheBox]

OK, back to civility, Turco doesn't get caught though, and if you're not cheating...

I hated Avery too...until the Stars signed him haha. Always been a big Niedermayer fan though, it's not like I despise the Ducks. Scott, not so much Rob. I can't wait until next season...Pacific's going to be the best division in hockey...again.

Rob's a pretty underrated player as far as defensive forwards go, but I think Scott Niedermayer is the best hockey player in the league. If the Ducks want to get out of the first round, they need to give him his C back.

I can't wait until next season either, but I'm actually more excited that the league is toning down division play. I don't need to see the Ducks play the Kings, Sharks, and Stars 8 times a season =P

 

[RySerr21]

my dream (maybe even my goal?) is to be the orthopedic surgeon for the san francisco 49ers.....that would be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Although i've heard they are on call like every other day or something.

 

[daniellema13]

I'd be happy with a championship ring and the chance to drink from the Stanley Cup.

I drank from the stanley cup this summer...there was a huge party at the airport hanger when the wings flew in after winning

 

[T12]

I don't know what you're talking about, the Wings didn't win the cup. They certainly didn't beat Dallas in the WCF to do so. Never happened. Nope did not happen.

 

[knock]

I believe when doctors are the "official" so-and-so for a team, generally they don't exclusively work for that particular team. Although, there may be instances where they do exclusively work for a franchise. On the flip side, I am sure athletes are allowed to go to other surgeons, maybe even working in the same specialty, than the team physician. If that wasn't the case, than virtually every surgeon, clinic, etc, working in sports medicine would have some team affiliation plastered all over their businesses and websites like a Nascar driver. A TON of surgeons work in sports medicine all over Texas, and some do have their team affiliations prominently displayed, but others like this surgeon state all over the place they treat athletes, but without any particular team mentioned. Surgery requires so much knowledge and practice, even amongst surgeons specializing in sports injuries, there are guys who will specialize in particular injuries, surgeries, and so on and so forth. That would explain why you occasionally hear about pro athletes for major franchises having to go consult some particular surgeon in some far away state.

 

[blizzah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Andrews_(physician)

That guy is the absolute boss.

"As far as I know he's like the Jay-Z of the rap world. He's the best. He's smooth. He's smooth as butter." remarked Kevin Smith, Lions running back, on surgeon Dr. James Andrews who performed his ACL reconstruction

He takes insurance when average folk need him too.

 

[Law2Doc]

What kind training would a doctor like the one listed in the article have? Would the doctor work for a clinic and the team, or just the team?

generally you would need to be an orthopedist, and typically you would not be working for the team per se, but instead for an orthopedic group at a local hospital which was the "official" hospital for the team.

With the current emphasis on concussions, I think NFL teams are going to be tapping into local neurology departments for a sideline doctor as well, but by and large this hasn't happened yet and ortho is still the best route for this.

Bear in mind that fewer than 100 orthopedists probably handle 90% of this business, out of many thousands, and most aren't in a rush to retire, so it's not a high yield career goal. Your more likely end point will be working with high school athlete versions of the same injuries.

 

[thesauce]

These physicians generally work for free (or in some cases actually pay the team) for the right to serve as the team's physician and the notoriety that comes with it. They make money through their regular medical practice.

 

[SLC]

I believe when doctors are the "official" so-and-so for a team, generally they don't exclusively work for that particular team.

One of the administrators at my school is one of the team physicians for an NBA team. He's not a part of the organization per se, but his practice (Family and Sports Medicine) cares for the team. He's a DO by the way, and apparently the OMT is particularly suited to some of these things. When there's a season being played (which we may not get this year), there are opportunities for one or two students from the Sports Med club to attend the game with him.

Anyway, he also serves as the team doc for the local WNBA team, the city's ballet (he says he does it because his wife LOVES the ballet), and a community college football team nearby.

One thing he told us at Sports Med Club is that he's basically unable to get malpractice insurance to cover the NBA stuff. What insurance company wants to risk having to pay the type of damages necessary if a physician accidentally ends Lebron James' career?

 

[Socrates25]

I wonder if docs that are full time with a team make bank??

Not really, although usually the "team physicians" are fairly prestigious in their own right and therefore they were making $$$ long before they secured any affiliation with a team. In fact, pro teams know that the advertising that doctors get from being the "official team physician" of team X is worth a fortune in gold, and therefore they lowball the doctors groups. For example, the Baltimore Ravens has a contract with Union Memorial Hospital sports medicine group, and the docs treat the team for free.