Sports Medicine and Podiatry

[alparkeruab]

Is sports medicine a popular subspecialty within podiatry? What path would a podiatic student take to ultimately become a sports medicine specialist? Do professional athletic teams hire podiatrists on their medical staffs?

Thanks for your answers. I am a student interested in podiatry, specially sports medicine.

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[Dr_Feelgood]

Is sports medicine a popular subspecialty within podiatry? What path would a podiatic student take to ultimately become a sports medicine specialist? Do professional athletic teams hire podiatrists on their medical staffs?

Thanks for your answers. I am a student interested in podiatry, specially sports medicine.

Sports medicine is not a major part of podiatry. But I don't think that sports medicine is a major part of a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons practice either. When you compare sports medicine to diabetic foot conditions, general trauma, orthopedics, ect; it is just not a major part for most foot and ankle physicians (pod or ortho).

There are podiatrist that have practices that are mainly involved with sports medicine. Most of these podiatrists are members of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine.

The path you take is similar to any other in podiatry. Chose a podiatric school, do well. Get a PM&S 36 residency, and then finish your education with a fellowship in sports medicine.

As for working with a team, that is beyond me. I know that Scott Weil works with the White Soxs, but that is the only pod I know of with a pro team. I'm sure it is a lot of who you know more than what you know. It would probably be easier to get in with a college and then make connections to move to the pro ranks.

 

[dpmrunner]

From what I have gathered in my research on it, it's like this in most areas.

Pods can be prominent sports docs in a lot of areas due to the fact that many sports problems stem from the lower limb, realize that you will still be working with older people trying to get back into shape or the high school crowd quite a bit.

If you're in a receptive area and market yourself well then you can get set up with pro teams, usually olympic teams will have a couple pods with them and they will be around or associated with olympic training centers.

It sounds like it comes down to marketing a bit though. Almost all higher ranking teams have their ortho doc and if he is on a pro team he gets some kind of reimbursement for it, so why spend more to have a guy/girl that can just look at your foot? I know that athletes will get referred out but you have to show more what you can bring to the table above and beyond the regular to get on sports teams. As Feelgood said, you have to start out making ties with the local high schools and colleges, doing some free stuff or reduced rates to get your name out to the right crowd and then prove yourself to continue to excel.

 

[krabmas]

even for the orthos these days it is alot of free stuff before you get to be the team doc.

It is extremely competative to be the team doc and some hospitals actually pay the team to be the team hospital then only docs at that hospital treat the team. This gives the hospital bragging rights to say they are the hospital for "so and so" team. This makes patients want to go to that hospital and the docs at that hospital.

If you choose podiatry just be sure that if you do not get to do as much sports medicine as you would like that you are happy with the other aspects of podiatry.

 

[Feli]

Dr. Losito is on Barry's faculty and is the team podiatrist for the Miami Heat.
http://www.barry.edu/gms/news/2003summer/05aapsm.htm
http://www.barry.edu/podiatry/academic/residency.htm

I also know that Marque Allen in San Antonio is the podiatrist to the Spurs as well as the WNBA team there; he spoke at a AAPSM seminar here in Miami and his lectures were excellent and very informative.
http://www.smasatx.com/about.html

From listening to a couple of Losito's presentations and lectures, it seems that he believes that the main reason most DPMs aren't more involved in sports medicine is the sizable time commitment required and high expectations for limited financial returns. He sounds very satisfied with the challenge and expectations which come with treating athletes, but he jokes that most podiatrists want nothing but heel pain and a few hammer toes since those cases and outcomes are easier, more predictible, and more profitable. As a former AAPSM president and the director of what I believe to be the only fully approved DPM sports medicine fellowship, I think he'd know. I look forward to more lectures in his courses as I become an upperclassman. He is very well smart and respected, and he still remains a funny guy who makes learning fun.

Unfortunately, I think that many high level fields such as sports podiatry, pediatric podiatry, and podiatric research are not attempted to any great extent by the majority of DPMs. The additional training for these arenas is extensive and the fellowships often pay an even lower salary than DPM residents make. It's easy to say right now that I want the best training and plan to do a fellowship someday, but will I change my tune if/when the time comes that I'm a 3rd year pod resident with multiple $100k+ job offers as opposed to a $25k fellowship...???

 

[alparkeruab]

Dr. Losito is on Barry's faculty and is the team podiatrist for the Miami Heat.
http://www.barry.edu/gms/news/2003summer/05aapsm.htm
http://www.barry.edu/podiatry/academic/residency.htm

I also know that Marque Allen in San Antonio is the podiatrist to the Spurs as well as the WNBA team there; he spoke at a AAPSM seminar here in Miami and his lectures were excellent and very informative.
http://www.smasatx.com/about.html

From listening to a couple of Losito's presentations and lectures, it seems that he believes that the main reason most DPMs aren't more involved in sports medicine is the sizable time commitment required and high expectations for limited financial returns. He sounds very satisfied with the challenge and expectations which come with treating athletes, but he jokes that most podiatrists want nothing but heel pain and a few hammer toes since those cases and outcomes are easier, more predictible, and more profitable. As a former AAPSM president and the director of what I believe to be the only fully approved DPM sports medicine fellowship, I think he'd know. I look forward to more lectures in his courses as I become an upperclassman. He is very well smart and respected, and he still remains a funny guy who makes learning fun.

Unfortunately, I think that many high level fields such as sports podiatry, pediatric podiatry, and podiatric research are not attempted to any great extent by the majority of DPMs. The additional training for these arenas is extensive and the fellowships often pay an even lower salary than DPM residents make. It's easy to say right now that I want the best training and plan to do a fellowship someday, but will I change my tune if/when the time comes that I'm a 3rd year pod resident with multiple $100k+ job offers as opposed to a $25k fellowship...???

How long would a sports medicine fellowship take to complete? Would you be guaranteed a larger salary if you completed this fellowship?

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

How long would a sports medicine fellowship take to complete? Would you be guaranteed a larger salary if you completed this fellowship?

That depends. Most fellowships are 1 year. As for salary, nothing guarantees a larger salary except hard work. It will only give you more experience in a specific field of training. It may also open a few doors for you later.