Sports medicine physician
Sports medicine physicians are doctors with specialization in diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and prevention from illness.
Education of sports medicine physician
Sports medicine physician requires a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. They will need to take pre-med classes in biology, anatomy, and chemistry during undergraduate education.
Medical school is a four-year program. Have primary specialization in primary care with sub-specialty in sports medicine or orthopaedic surgery, students can take electives in one of these specialty areas. Following the completion of medical school, graduates enter into residency programs. No any programs exist that allow for specialization in sports medicine, but rotations can include sports medicine procedures.
One year of sports medicine fellowship program is their training requirement, training on surgical techniques specially sports injuries such as knee and shoulder reconstruction. Learning and treating orthopaedic sports injuries by orthopaedic rehabilitation process.
Sports medicine physician’s major subjects are athletic training, exercise science and others that cover human physiology, human anatomy, athletic injury prevention, kinesiology, community health, sports nutrition, therapeutic exercise and biomechanics.
They must be board certified in family medicine, pediatrics or internal medicine. Physicians with surgical sports medicine degree are also eligible for board certification in sports medicine and typically hold Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon designations.
Careers for sports medicine physician
It is a fast growing healthcare field that focuses on the treatment of athletic injuries Sports psychologyand have a lots of career paths. Some of them are:
1) Athletic trainer
Their duty is to recommend exercise and nutrition program, safe and effective exercise techniques and recovery from injury techniques.
2) Exercise physiologist
They analyze medical history and fitness level to determine health and an exercise regimen. They focused on cardiovascular health and metabolism.
3) Sports psychologistSports psychology*
They help athletes for enhancing performance by mental strategies,
patience and pain tolerance for injury recovery. They also work with coaches to main mindsets and beliefs.
4) Sports medicine nurse
They supports the physician during treatment of patients with bone fractures, torn ligament and muscle strain.
5) Orthopaedic surgeon
They are responsible for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of bone, joints, tendon and muscle disorders.
6) Kinesiotherapist
They are responsible for monitoring exercise programs for those patients who recovered from injury by restoring strength and mobility.
7) Physical therapist
They help patients in recovery from muscle, nerve or joint injuries. Physical therapist provide active support until patients are able to ■■■■■■■ the tasks independently. Physical therapists work in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, schools and clinics.
8) Physiatrist
They supports patients with pain and mobility issues. This is similar to a physical therapist, but they requires more extensive knowledge of nerve, bone and muscle issues. Physiatrists helping patients to restore physical functioning to improve their athletic performance and general quality of life, mostly non-surgical treatment such as medication and exercise.
Skills and knowledge needed for sports medicine physician
1) Skills
Reading, speaking, listening, making decisions, learning new things, being aware of others, helping others, solving complex problems and coordination are skills needed for sports medicine physician.
2) Knowledge
Knowledge of education and training, medicine and dentistry, psychology, administration and management, customer services, mathematics, biology, chemistry and English language are important for sports medicine physician.
Tasks and responsibilities of sports medicine physician
Tasks include:
Maintain and record the medical information of athletes.
Perform physical examination and record history.
Give suggestions to those athelete who again starts activities after recovering from injury.
Interpret the laboratory test’s results.
Make coordination between sports care activities with physician, surgeon, trainer and physical therapist.
They are giving education and counseling on illness and injury prevention.
Working environment of sports medicine physician
They may work in various environments, including hospitals, medical clinics, physical therapy practices, high schools, colleges and universities, and professional sports organizations.
Physical Therapy in sports medicine:
Every sportsman have likely had some sort of physical therapy during their lives, which is a crucial component in healing because it is focusing in strengthening and increasing flexibility in the body which results in performing better in the field. In order to prevent injuries many athletes do physical therapy.
It’s important to understand that physical therapy in sports medicine is not the same as other types of physical therapy for post surgery or post injury persons. It is a specialized field of medicine and similar to it, physical therapy in sports medicine is a specialized therapy. Physical therapists with sports medicine specialization degree understand the nature of sports related injuries, conditions, and surgeries, and are skilled in helping individuals heal and strengthen themselves.
Physical therapists focus on healing the individual in sports medicine so they can go back to their game as well as teaching them how to prevent re injury.
Difference between orthopaedic and sports medicine physician:
They specialize in the complete health care of athletes while orthopedic Surgeons specialize in the operative treatment of injuries.
Their training held in the training room, office, on the field and in labs while orthopaedic surgeon’s training held at operating room, hospitals and emergency room.
Top 10 sports medicine colleges in the world:
- Ohio state University
- University of Virginia
- Stanford University
- University of South Florida
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Boston University
- University of North Carolina
- University of Michigan
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Southern California
Benefits of sports medicine physician
- Sports medicine physician provide education on therapies and rehabilitation after trauma. Provide heal and recovery from injuries due to sports.
- They create a work plan to help patients to reach their goals such as muscle building and weight loss.
- They can educate how to properly stretch body to prepare for work out to reduce risk of injuries.
Is it a good career?
A career in sports medicine is great for a person who love sports and exercise training, love to help others improve their health and wellness, and feel comfortable working in a physically demanding environment.
Conclusion
Sports medicine physicians are doctors with specialization in diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and prevention from illness.
Sports medicine physician requires a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree.
Sports medicine physician’s major subjects are athletic training, exercise science and others that cover human physiology, human anatomy, athletic injury prevention, kinesiology, community health, sports nutrition, therapeutic exercise and biomechanics.
Careers for sports medicine physician are physical therapist, sports medicine nurses, kinesiotherapist,. Orthopaedic surgeons, Physiatrists and sports psychologist.
Reading, speaking, listening, making decisions, learning new things, being aware of others, helping others, solving complex problems and coordination are skills needed for sports medicine physician.
Knowledge of education and training, medicine and dentistry, psychology, administration and management, customer services, mathematics, biology, chemistry and English language are important for sports medicine physician.
They may work in various environments, including hospitals, medical clinics, physical therapy practices, high schools, colleges and universities, and professional sports organizations.
In order to prevent injuries many athletes do physical therapy. It’s important to understand that physical therapy in sports medicine is not the same as other types of physical therapy for post surgery or post injury persons. It is a specialized field of medicine and similar to it, physical therapy in sports medicine is a specialized therapy.
A career in sports medicine is great for a person who love sports and exercise training, love to help others improve their health and wellness, and feel comfortable working in a physically demanding environment.