Surgical Sports Medicine?

[BigBoyOrtho]

Hey everyone.

I was wondering how competative surgical sports medicine is within orthopaedics. I've always wanted to be involved in professional sports from a young age. I didn't become a professional athelete and I have fallen in love with science/medicine. A head doctor for a professional sports team would be a dream come true for me. Any information on the feild would be very much appreciated.

desired information:
1. Competitiveness
2. Lifestyle, Hours worked
3. Job Opportunities
4. Demand of Surgical Sports Medicine/Sports Medicine in the future
5. Compensation

Thank you in advance.

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[Tired]

Hey everyone.

I was wondering how competative surgical sports medicine is within orthopaedics. I've always wanted to be involved in professional sports from a young age. I didn't become a professional athelete and I have fallen in love with science/medicine. A head doctor for a professional sports team would be a dream come true for me. Any information on the feild would be very much appreciated.

desired information:
1. Competitiveness
2. Lifestyle, Hours worked
3. Job Opportunities
4. Demand of Surgical Sports Medicine/Sports Medicine in the future
5. Compensation

Thank you in advance.

Kind of jumping ahead of yourself there dude, you gotta get into med school first.

BTW, bold choice of names. BigBoyOrtho? Maybe you should have started with BigBoyPreMed?

Just messing with ya.

 

[BigBoyOrtho]

Kind of jumping ahead of yourself there dude, you gotta get into med school first.

BTW, bold choice of names. BigBoyOrtho? Maybe you should have started with BigBoyPreMed?

Just messing with ya.

"People don't plan to fail. They fail to plan."

B0$$

 

[djquickfingers]

"People don't plan to fail. They fail to plan."

B0$$

ohhh to be young again...that used to be my motto...no one ever plans to fail...just dont put the cart before the horse, especially with medicine..there is so much to take in that you never know where life will take you so be patient and open minded...if ortho is your calling, you'll find out soon enough if your cut out for it...till then, good luck

 

[ddmo]

Many people don't realize what life as a team surgeon is really like. First, most team physicians are not compensated for the work they do with the team. They do so because of personal desire and the benefit of using it in advertising for the sports work they do outside of the team. Little Jonny tears his ACL and sees
"team surgeon for the Whatervers", and says he wants the same treatment as the pros. On top of the lack of pay, you have to spend your time babysitting prima donna players who are known to be a pain in the rear. If anything truly does go wrong, they will probably go to some super specialist anyways, so you won't even be doing much of the operating. Overall besides the prestige/ring/ride in the championship parade, it can be a major headache.

Otherwise, all the other factors you were asking about are the same as any other sports fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon.

1. Very competitive
2. Variable, ~50-70hrs/wk
3. Plenty of opportunities in sports, not so much with prof. teams
4. See 3 above
5. Well compensated in the medical realm, usually less than spine or joints, but you're doing well for yourself.

 

[Tired]

If anything truly does go wrong, they will probably go to some super specialist anyways, so you won't even be doing much of the operating. Overall besides the prestige/ring/ride in the championship parade, it can be a major headache.

That's a really good point. Notice how everyone goes to Birmingham these days for their knee surgery? The other trend I've noticed is that, in newspaper accounts of Ortho surgeries on pro athletes, they always seem to give the surgeon's name, which is pretty trippy. You think these guys all do the surgeries for free, in exchange for being named in press release?

 

[ROBINHO]

Lets say you want to be a Sports doctor..ex the type that travels around with soccer teams.

What are the paths to take after Med School???

 

[JDWflash44]

Well I'm only an MS1 but I work a lot with the ortho sports department here at the CC. From what I understand: Get an Orthopaedic Surgery residency, during 4th or 5th (depending upon whether your are in a 5 yr or 6 yr res) you apply for a Sports fellowship. Do a one year sports fellowship, then find a place to work that covers sports teams. Now ortho is one of the more competitive matches and then sports is one of the more competitive fellowship positions to get coming out of ortho. So it isnt an easy road. Hope this helps.

 

[RxnMan]

Lets say you want to be a Sports doctor..ex the type that travels around with soccer teams.

What are the paths to take after Med School???

While it won't be popular in this forum, I work with a guy who does what you describe and he went through a combined IM/Peds residency and did a fellowship in Sports Med. FM and (I believe) PM&R residencies can also prepare you for a Sports Med fellowship. Note though that these are non-operative approaches to that field of medicine.

 

[ROBINHO]

RxnMan and JDWflash44
Thanks for your responses. My research indicates that you are both right. This is what I learnt

1. Most Sports Doctors go into Orthopedics be4 later taking up a SPorts Fellowship.

2. However one could still do residencies Gynaecology(Sports Women), cardio, Internal Medicine etc and later take up a Sports Fellowship.

I would prefer being an Ortho becos I would have more contact with sportsmen than as a Cardio...however being an IMG....it freaks me hahahaha
Time will tell

 

[Tired]

RxnMan and JDWflash44
1. Most Sports Doctors go into Orthopedics be4 later taking up a SPorts Fellowship.

2. However one could still do residencies Gynaecology(Sports Women), cardio, Internal Medicine etc and later take up a Sports Fellowship.

Don't confuse Sports Medicine with Ortho Sports. "Sports Medicine" doesn't operate. An orthopedist with a specialty in Sports does. Fundamentally different.

 

[RxnMan]

Yeah, I may not have been clear - FM, Peds, IM -> Sports Med is a non-operative approach to the management of sports-related injuries. Ortho -> Sports is an operative approach to the management of sports-related injuries.

I've never heard of Gyn -> Sports Med. What is "cardio?" Here in the US cardiology's a fellowship after an IM residency, so I'd doubt anyone'd want to do 2 fellowships.