Sports Coverage Preparation for Fellowship

[JBM16BYU]

Hi, just a quick question regarding sports coverage preparation for fellowship. Maybe there is not an exact answer for this, but how much, on average, sports coverage should someone have prior to entering fellowship? Is being a team physician preferred over 1x event coverage? Training room experience preferred?

In addition, but only slightly related, does anyone have any suggestions for finding non-dance performing arts coverage? (Concert venues, for example)?

Thanks!

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[runfastnow]

No help for you on the performing arts stuff.

As a n=1 sports medicine physician - IMO having one or two deep experiences working with a team, particularly in training room settings and with ATCs, is tremendously helpful in preparation for fellowship and your career. If you ultimately want to work as a team physician in a university or professional setting you need the insights into the athlete/sport culture, working closely with ATCs, and balancing the risk/reward of playing with/returning from injuries that may be treated differently in a lay person. You probably/may not be able to get this completely in residency, but shoot for as much as you can experience.

To me mass participation events (i.e. marathons, triathlons) are usually pretty bad learning experiences for sports medicine unless you are deep into the logistics of setting up the medical coverage (tents, on course personnel, emergency planning, etc.) or are/interested in being EM doc. You might see some exertional collapse or heat injury, but not any sort of breadth of sports injuries. If it is a huge track or wrestling meet (i.e. Penn Relays, Mt. SAC Relays, high school state track/wrestling champs) then those are worthwhile mass participation opportunities to do "real" sports medicine as the breadth of athlete and potential injuries/illnesses are much greater while still having the mass participation event component.

 

[TheGreatestTrochanter]

I think just showing you are serious about SM and understand what event coverage is about is the big one for getting a fellowship. This can be a longitudinal experience, or a smattering of a variety of settings. In fellowship you typically start caring for a HS team in the first couple weeks so need some amount of experience going in.

I have never heard of physician coverage at fine arts events, and if there is you may get a nice seat but it would be extremely low yield. Even your average football game you may go the whole time with no injury, let alone basketball or soccer. I would focus on areas where you actually do something at this point. A fine arts clinic, however, could be very useful if you are interested in that field, and high yield. Just not as many acute injuries with a return to play needed right off the bat there.

 

[galactus]

My attending covered a Metallica concert once. Got backstage passes and all he did was do a cortisone injection on one of the band players' shoulders so he can play his instrument. The fellows a few years after me covered Cirque du Soleil when they were in town.

I personally have covered DCI (Drum Corp International) events whenever they are in town. I've seen a few marching band injuries in the college I take care of as well.

My suggestion: Cover a rodeo. You potentially get to see sports injuries, and you'll get a free concert out of it. Who knows the performer may need to see you for a medical issue (see first paragraph lol)

I have a colleague that has covered figure skating events.

Besides AMSSM, I'd look into PAMA (Performing Arts Medical Association). There's a few of us sports docs who are involved in that organization as well

In terms of coverage, just understanding the dynamics of SM and MSK should be key. I know game coverage is like the sweet selling point for fellowship, but that's like 10% of what we do. If anything, getting training room exposure would be the most valuable. You'll learn how to treat injuries in season, return to play decisions, and seeing the dynamics between physicians, athletes, athletic trainers, and the coaches.

 

[TableMD]

also remember that trauma is trauma, so dont be shy about learning from ortho trauma if they have a busy service to deal with breaks and injuries that come in that you may see on the field. Irrigating with lidocaine before traction and setting a break is a useful skill to have...